Quirky San Francisco

I’ve written about this spot before, but this time, I shot a little video.

This little hotel-top view-bar is often forgotten. It’s not really that special, but the view is great. It’s a somewhat secluded view to the East that includes the surrounding buildings, Yerba Buena Park, the Bay Bridge and more. To the West, you can see to Twin Peaks and Sutro Tower. Occasionally, you can watch the fog come up over the hill and toward the big windows while the sun goes down. Every day offers a different mood. Oh, the drinks are a little expensive, but they’re BIG.

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I love this spot.  It’s close to Downtown, has great views, depending on where you sit, and it’s usually not too crowded. Unfortunately, they remodeled a bit, which dressed-up the furniture, but created inflexible seating arrangements. It’s OK, but the music is now just to way too Americana, which really doesn’t fit the space, in my opinion. They should hire www.MyPersonalDJ.com to re-vamp the music, but I digress. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy watching a sunset on the West side (or the fog roll in if it’s June), or sneak a view of the Bay Bridge and the buildings that surround the Yerba Buena Gardens, which is another great yet overlooked spot.

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When you come to the city, book a hotel downtown; so you’re centrally located. The whole city is only 7 miles by 7 miles and downtown is not only wakable, but you’ll have all the transportation options at your feet – cabs, undergound light rail, BART, street cars, Cable Cars and buses. After checking into your hotel, head to one of the cocktail lounges that’s up high; so you can get your bearings and relax. One of our favorites is the 39th Floor at the Marriott on 4th Street, 1/2 block So. of Market. The hotel is a bit tired, but the 39th Floor has a unique view of the Bay Bridge and is worth at least one drink. This is one of the only views that’s IN downtown. The Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero is also a bit tired, but nice and the top floor, the Equinox, has a rotating restaurant that revolves to show you all the views in about an hour. On Nob Hill, there’s the Top of The Mark at the Mark Hopkins Hotel on California, across from the Farimont Hotel. Most of the top floors of the big hotels have removed the bars and rent them out for special events. Sad, but it looks like they’re a dying breed; so go now before they’re all gone.