Observation Decks Don't Sell Well in Hilly San Francisco

Architecture critic John King chronicles the rise and fall of observation decks in San Francisco. He argues that the city has so much to offer at ground level that tourists aren't interested in paying for the towering vistas that are so popular in cities like New York and Chicago. "All it really does it whet your appetite to return downstairs and begin to explore the terrain on your own two feet," King writes.

Buildings like the Empire State Building and Sears Tower command high prices, and visitors brave long lines and cramped conditions to take pictures from their decks. But in San Francisco, observation floors in high-rise buildings can't sustain a profit. "Most big cities make their own geography, hanging their visual images on architectural peaks that demand to be scaled. Here? Not so."

King counts "only three remaining top-floor venues where you can buy a drink, at least in the districts east of Van Ness Avenue," and finds no prospects in the plethora of high-rises being built downtown.