The ceiling of a guest room at Hotel Boheme in San Francisco. Allen Ginsberg stayed there quite a bit in the 1950’s and his favorite room is at the end of the hall.

Across the street from Boheme is City Lights Bookstore, an independent bookseller with a rich history. Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, City Lights went on to publish paperback editions and is credited with being the birthplace of the beatnick movement.

Ferlinghetti was tried (and acquitted) in 1957 for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s Howl which at the time was seen by some as “obscene.”

For further reading, here’s a nice article about the shop and its landmark status from the San Francisco Chronicle, 2000.