# What Is This San Francisco Landmark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249 "2007-05-15T23:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/1 "2007-05-15T23:32:15Z")
Backstory: My wife and I have been watching the first season of **Ironside** on DVD, and see the same building over and over in the stock establishing shots at the beginning of most episodes. It is on the top of a (populated) hill and is tall and round, looks like a lighthouse. Gray/off-white in color (assuming our TV set’s colors are fine). What is that building? Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/2 "2007-05-15T23:37:06Z")
[Coit Tower](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower)? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/3 "2007-05-15T23:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] [Coit Tower](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower)? [/QUOTE] Yes, that looks like it. On the show, it is always a long shot that starts on it and pans away, never shows a close-up, but the top of it looks like the stock shot. Thanks. Knew I’d get an answer fast. EDIT: While we’re here, in the shot taken from Fisherman’s Wharf (in Wikipedia article, what is the slightly needle-shaped building to the right of Coit Tower? If you tell me that one, I will have had my quota of SF geography today. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/4 "2007-05-15T23:42:52Z")
Hey, I knew the answer before I even read the post. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/5 "2007-05-15T23:44:33Z")
Probably the 2nd most identifiable figure on the [SF skyline](http://www.miriamgrebeimages.com/images/SanFrancisco/SanFranciscoSkyline304.jpg) after the TransAmerica building. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/6 "2007-05-15T23:47:16Z")
Should have posted again instead of editing. My EDIT question above – is that the TransAmerica Building I’m describing from the photos in the Wiki article? Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/7 "2007-05-15T23:51:16Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Rhosis] Should have posted again instead of editing. My EDIT question above – is that the TransAmerica Building I’m describing from the photos in the Wiki article? Sir Rhosis [/QUOTE] I believe so. Is [this](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid) what you meant? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/8 "2007-05-15T23:53:06Z")
[QUOTE=NAF1138] I believe so. Is [this](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid) what you meant? [/QUOTE] [Fixed Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/9 "2007-05-15T23:54:44Z")
Yep. Thanks again, guys. Any questions you might have about the Cincinnati skyline, fire away. 😃 Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/10 "2007-05-15T23:56:41Z")
I’ll also note that if you’re facing South (like from Fisherman’s Wharf), they Coit is to the left of the Transamerica building. But if you’re facing West (like from the Bay Bridge approach), it’s to the right. Also, if you’re walking down [Lombard](http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?pg=8389) (the “crookedest street”) and keep going, you’ll end up at the base of Coit. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/11 "2007-05-16T02:28:45Z")
Coit is designed to look like a fire hose nozzle (or so I was told). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/12 "2007-05-16T02:43:27Z")
Not according to [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower). ---
**Author:** ![Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intravenus_De_Milo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/13 "2007-05-16T04:05:01Z")
Coit Tower is awesome. Just the view from the top of the hill it’s on is marvelous. If you go to the top, the windows you see around the very top are covered with plexiglass to prevent jumpers, but there exists a small gap between the plexiglass and the wall. And on each windowsill is hundreds of coins left there by tourists, many of them from outside the US. It’s interesting to see where all of the currency is from, and a great deal of the coins I saw had Chinese or Japanese script on them. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/14 "2007-05-17T07:34:43Z")
[QUOTE=Intravenus De Milo] Coit Tower is awesome. Just the view from the top of the hill it’s on is marvelous. If you go to the top, the windows you see around the very top are covered with plexiglass to prevent jumpers, but there exists a small gap between the plexiglass and the wall. And on each windowsill is hundreds of coins left there by tourists, many of them from outside the US. It’s interesting to see where all of the currency is from, and a great deal of the coins I saw had Chinese or Japanese script on them. [/QUOTE] Don’t you actually have to flip the coin up over the window? I think it’s actually a pretty difficult shot. Also, Coit Tower has stunning WPA murals in the base. Supposedly, there are [wild parrots](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424565/) living there, although I’ve never seen them. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/15 "2007-05-17T15:12:28Z")
. . . Is the designer’s name really Lillie Hitchcock Coit? 😑 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/16 "2007-05-17T15:20:43Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Rhosis] Thanks again, guys. Any questions you might have about the Cincinnati skyline, fire away. [/QUOTE] Is there one? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/17 "2007-05-17T15:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=Intravenus De Milo] Coit Tower is awesome. Just the view from the top of the hill it’s on is marvelous. If you go to the top, the windows you see around the very top are covered with plexiglass to prevent jumpers, but there exists a small gap between the plexiglass and the wall. And on each windowsill is hundreds of coins left there by tourists, many of them from outside the US. It’s interesting to see where all of the currency is from, and a great deal of the coins I saw had Chinese or Japanese script on them. [/QUOTE] Huh…I would have said just the opposite. When I went up it in…hmm…91?92? it smelled of urine…strongly. The views were nice, but there was trash all around the edges and it stank. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/18 "2007-05-17T15:53:09Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Don’t you actually have to flip the coin up over the window? I think it’s actually a pretty difficult shot. Also, Coit Tower has stunning WPA murals in the base. Supposedly, there are [wild parrots](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424565/) living there, although I’ve never seen them. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah, the murals are neat. And I’ve seen the wild parrots! They do exist, or did several years ago when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/19 "2007-05-18T00:34:59Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Is there one? 😛 [/QUOTE] 😃 If you squint just right… Actually the Cincy skyline was used as the background for the opening credits in a quite famous soap opera in the 50s and 60s (Proctor and Gamble and all that, ya know). I just can’t remember which soap it was. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249/20 "2007-05-18T11:47:42Z")
Aren’t the murals by diego rivera? btw, I believe that the correct name is coitus tower [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-san-francisco-landmark/404249.md?page=2)