On a starry night, with all the lights ablaze, the stunning architectural beauty shines brightest.
The turn-of-the century structure is at the mouth of Columbus Street & Kearny Streets (wedged slightly between Chinatown and Northbeach).
Occasionally, I muse about what it would feel like to be firmly ensconced in one of the top-level suites, with what I expect must be a breathtaking view of Coit Tower and the picturesque San Francisco Bay beyond.
In spite of the fact I have often caught sight of a plague affixed to the front outer wall, for some inexplicable reason, I never bothered to stroll up and take a gander at the inscription etched in an ornate scroll on its face.
Breaking habit, I ventured up close last evening, with the intent of casting some light on the building's history.
OMG!
The Columbus Tower has quite a pedigree!
A short blurb on the plague notes that the tower is the home of Francis Ford Coppola's highly-respected Zoetrope Studios.
Imagine that!
Oscar winner - Coppola - actually edited footage for "The Godfather" at this very site!
Being an avid film buff, I nearly fell to the pavement and kissed the corner stone.
In the lobby, Coppola has operated a popular Italian café featuring Rubicon Estate wine and memorabilia from his films.
Coppola wrote much of the screenplay for the Godfather in the nearby Caffe Trieste.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti's "City Lights Books" is located across the street from the Columbus Tower Building.
The neighborhood is also well-known for its cafes and its writers.
Columbus Tower is now owned and operated entirely by Coppola's son and daughter.
Roman Coppola and Sofia Coppola are lauded directors in their own right.
Columbus Tower, also known as the Sentinel Building, was completed in 1907.
Its distinctive copper-green edifice shows one of the few examples of buildings remaining in San Francisco that pertained to the Flatiron style (it is known to locals as the Flat Iron building) of early 1900s American architecture.
It is designated landmark number 155 in the city.
The top floor initially housed the headquarters of the infamous Abe Ruef (a local political figure at the time).
Caesar's' restaurant, once a tenant, was widely credited for creating the popular "Caesar Salad".
The "watering hole" was closed during prohibition under the Eighteenth Amendment.
The Kingston Trio owned the building and used it as their corporate headquarters during the 1960s.
The successful band built a recording studio in the basement, which was not only used for their own musical purposes, but for other leading artists of the day ("We Five").
By the early 1970s the building was falling into a state of disrepair.
Francis Ford Coppola purchased the building and transformed it into the architectural gem that graces the neighborhood today.
