The Mark Hopkins hotel at California and Mason streets has one of the most famous bars in San Francisco on its top floor.
From penthouse to lounge
Wikipedia says hotelier George D. Smith built the Mark Hopkins on the site of railroad baron Mark Hopkins' mansion, which burned after the 1906 earthquake. The hotel was dedicated in 1926. Mining magnate Daniel C. Jackling rented the penthouse until 1936. In 1939, Smith persuaded the hotel's trustees to spend $110,000 turning the 11-room penthouse on the 19th floor into a glass-walled cocktail lounge.
The hotel's general manager, Michael Pace, told CBS News Bay Area that Smith worried no one would ride 19 floors for a drink. Instead, the lounge, which opened in May 1939 with a dance floor and a band, was an instant hit, and people waited in line for hours for the elevator.
A wartime goodbye
During World War II, troops bound for the Pacific had a last toast at the Top of the Mark before shipping out. Wives and sweethearts gathered at one corner to watch the ships pass under the Golden Gate Bridge. Wikipedia calls it 'Weeper's Corner'; CBS calls it the 'Weeper's Window.'
Then there are the squadron bottles. According to Wikipedia, the tradition started during the Korean War. A squadron left a bottle with the bartender, members signed the label when they claimed a free drink, and whoever took the last drink kept the bottle and bought the next one. CBS reports that Navy veteran Michael Hall revived the tradition, and a case of signed bottles greets visitors as they step off the elevator.
A TV first
CBS says KPIX began broadcasting from the attic above the bar on Dec. 22, 1948, becoming Northern California's first TV station. Today, Wikipedia says, the bar is known for its long martini list and live music, and it offers afternoon tea during the December holidays.