This Side For Writing
Top of Mark, Mark Hopkins Hotel
From the Mark Hopkins website:
"In 1939 hotel owner George D. Smith created a sensation at the Mark Hopkins Hotel when he converted the 11-room penthouse on the hotel's 19th floor into a glass-walled cocktail lounge featuring a 360-degree view of San Francisco. This became known as the Top of the Mark.
Although Smith later told friends he wasn't sure that people would ride an elevator 19 stories just to enjoy a drink and the view, the Top of the Mark was an immediate hit after it opened May 11, 1939. That year, San Franciscans and visitors alike flocked there to view the twinkling lights of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. The Top of the Mark soared even as the shadows of a world war loomed.
After the Second World War broke out, theTop of the Mark was a favorite spot for Pacific-bound servicemen to enjoy their last liberty before shipping out. As the ships left the Golden Gate, anxious wives and sweethearts often gathered in the Northwest corner to watch the departure, earning that section the nickname 'Weepers' Corner.'
When the servicemen returned to San Francisco, they often came back to the Top of the Mark and asked the bartender for their unit's 'squadron bottle.' Once the serviceman signed his name on the label, he could drink from the bottle for free. There was only one catch: the man who took the last drink was required to replace the bottle.
But how did the Top of The Mark acquire its distinctive name? According to San Francisco columnist Herb Caen, Smith told friends, 'I don't know what to call the top of the Mark.' 'That's it,' they told him. 'What's it?' Smith replied. 'Top Of the Mark.' And that's how the 19th floor lounge got its name."
Top of Mark, Mark Hopkins Hotel
From the Mark Hopkins website:
"In 1939 hotel owner George D. Smith created a sensation at the Mark Hopkins Hotel when he converted the 11-room penthouse on the hotel's 19th floor into a glass-walled cocktail lounge featuring a 360-degree view of San Francisco. This became known as the Top of the Mark.
Although Smith later told friends he wasn't sure that people would ride an elevator 19 stories just to enjoy a drink and the view, the Top of the Mark was an immediate hit after it opened May 11, 1939. That year, San Franciscans and visitors alike flocked there to view the twinkling lights of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. The Top of the Mark soared even as the shadows of a world war loomed.
After the Second World War broke out, theTop of the Mark was a favorite spot for Pacific-bound servicemen to enjoy their last liberty before shipping out. As the ships left the Golden Gate, anxious wives and sweethearts often gathered in the Northwest corner to watch the departure, earning that section the nickname 'Weepers' Corner.'
When the servicemen returned to San Francisco, they often came back to the Top of the Mark and asked the bartender for their unit's 'squadron bottle.' Once the serviceman signed his name on the label, he could drink from the bottle for free. There was only one catch: the man who took the last drink was required to replace the bottle.
But how did the Top of The Mark acquire its distinctive name? According to San Francisco columnist Herb Caen, Smith told friends, 'I don't know what to call the top of the Mark.' 'That's it,' they told him. 'What's it?' Smith replied. 'Top Of the Mark.' And that's how the 19th floor lounge got its name."