Cityscape Pictures ~ Mark Hopkins San Francisco ~ Top of the Mark

San Francisco tourism

My husband and I have enjoyed being a tourist in San Francisco, California while on our way to or from the wine country several times. My husband had traveled to that "City by the Bay" on several occasions but wanted me to see some highlights on my very first visit. So while we were staying at the beautiful Huntington Hotel he made sure that we walked over to the Mark Hopkins Hotel and went up to their lounge called Top of the Mark for a drink while it was still daylight. That is where I was able to take these skyline pictures shown here.

The scenery as viewed from the highest point in all of San Francisco atop Nob Hill ( if the day is bright and clear as it was at the time of our visit ) is nothing short of stupendous.

We would later be visiting many of the places that were within view from a closer-up perspective...places like Chinatown, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco Bay and elsewhere.

But for a bird's eye view of this fabulous city, head on over to the Top of the Mark if you find yourself in San Francisco on vacation and wish to see things from this lofty and elevated perspective.

(c) Peggy Woods - All Rights Reserved

Mark Hopkins

A little background on this hotel's namesake...

Mark Hopkins, Jr. had the heart and soul of a true entrepreneur. He did a number of jobs and started businesses...everything from being a clerk in a post office in the early days to studying law; being a bookkeeper; investing in a company which delivered goods from the east to the west during California's Gold Rush days; opening a wholesale grocery and he also started a hardware and iron company.

Some of these things were more successful than others, but experiences along the way led him to the ultimate accomplishment. Hopkins and 3 others ( commonly referred to as "The Big Four" ) were the investors in the Central Pacific Railroad started in 1861.

Particularly in those early days of the 19th century, railroads were responsible for opening up new areas of the country and delivering people as well as supplies in easier fashion to the frontier and already settled places.

This resulted in "The Big Four" ( Mark Hopkins, Jr., Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Collis Huntington ) ultimately becoming very wealthy men.

Mark Hopkins Hotel San Francisco

The location of this hotel which is now a part of the Intercontinental chain of luxury hotels sits on the same spot of land where a mansion built by Mark Hopkins, Jr. once stood.

Unfortunately the Hopkin's mansion did not survive a raging fire which occurred after the significant California earthquake of 1906.

This Intercontinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel has now been in business since 1926.

It is a beauty just judging from the lobby and the lounge at the top and a few other public areas that my husband and I explored.

Top of the Mark

We did enjoy a drink and the ambiance inside the Top of the Mark. But the prime reason for our particular visit was getting to see the fabulous panoramic views and being able to take these skyline pictures.

Had we been there a little later in the day and gotten to see the twinkling lights of the city, that also would have been a wonderful sight to behold. Of that I am certain. But my husband and I had other things on our planned agenda.

The Top of the Mark has wonderful live music and is a great place for dancing.

How many wedding proposals have taken place there over the years? Many would be my guess!

San Francisco views

The picture below shows the Hotel Huntington on the left where my husband and I were staying during this visit. The green space in front of the hotel is Huntington Park and Grace Cathedral is situated just beyond the park.

Skyline Pictures

An iconic building in the San Francisco skyline is the Transamerica Pyramid pictured below. It is centered in the Financial District and at the time of its completion in 1972 was one of the five tallest buildings in the world! It once housed the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation...thus its name.

With crushed quartz on its exterior, it shines brightly against the blue sky and lapping waters of San Francisco Bay lying just beyond.

It is such a recognizable building that the Transamerica Pyramid has definitely become associated with San Francisco just like the Golden Gate Bridge.

Cityscapes

Below are a couple more cityscape photos taken while walking around the Top of the Mark lounge in the Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel. If my husband and I return to San Francisco it would be fun to return there and take skyline pictures at night. We did also enjoy a drink up there while viewing the mesmerizing scenery below and planning our days of vacation that were ahead of us. Be sure and visit the Top of the Mark if you get a chance. Oh...and take your camera!