Poet Allen Ginsberg lived for a time in a plain-looking apartment building at 170 E. Second St. in Manhattan's East Village.
Ginsberg was the quintessential free spirit.
How ironic, then, the list of things you can't do in front of his former home.
According to the list of prohibitions posted inside the front door, you and I can't spend some time sitting out front to reflect upon the man and his legacy.
Of course, when I visited on Saturday there was no guard posted at the door to ensure the steady flow of foot traffic, no tenants' group or block association monitors to shepherd me along. Frankly, I think most longer-term dwellers of the East Village wouldn't have a problem with this paying of respects, as long as the respect was extended to their needs, too.
But the sign is meant to get a point across.
We wouldn't want to piss off any developers or upset yuppie sensibilities, now, would we?
I think Ginsberg would get a good laugh out of all this.
Maybe even a howl.
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