Ivy Room
Albany, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A little mystery glows along old Highway 40 at the  Ivy Room  in Albany. Its elegant neon lettering casts a colorful light across San Pablo Avenue, creating just the right atmosphere for an evening roadside photograph.

The neighborhood bar dates back to the 1940s and has evolved into an intimate live-music venue hosting local and touring performers.

UPDATE: The Ivy Room remains open, and its vintage neon continues shining above the historic highway after dark. 09-26

500 Club
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Kian Smith

The drinks appear especially potent at The 500 Club in San Francisco. Its towering neon sign is topped by a nearly ten-foot martini glass, complete with a green olive and bubbling lights that seem ready to spill onto Guerrero Street. It has become one of the Mission District’s most recognizable nighttime landmarks.

The neighborhood watering hole opened in 1953 and once featured a live organist entertaining the weekend crowd. Inside, the low lighting, old booths, photographs, and familiar dive-bar atmosphere have survived as the neighborhood around it continues to change.

UPDATE: The 500 Club remains open, and its enormous animated martini continues glowing above the corner after dark. The smaller “Open 6:00 AM” panel also survives, although the bar no longer opens anywhere near that early. Apparently, even potent bubbly needs to sleep in once in a while. 09-26

Windmill Club (Gone)
Rodeo, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Windmills are uncommon enough along the roadside, but a glowing neon one is something special. The Windmill Club in Rodeo featured both a windmill-shaped building and a matching neon marquee, making it a memorable sight after dark. The spinning-blade theme gave passing motorists little chance of mistaking the place for an ordinary neighborhood tavern.

The business began as a soda fountain and family restaurant under owner Manuel Fernandez. After Prohibition ended in 1933, it received a liquor license and gradually developed into a popular roadside bar. By the 1950s, the Windmill Club offered dancing, live music from a four-piece band, and shuffleboard for the regulars.

The unusual building became a familiar Contra Costa County landmark and remained a favorite subject for roadside photographers and local artists. Between the windmill structure and its glowing sign, it had the sort of personality that newer buildings rarely attempt.

UPDATE: A devastating fire destroyed the Windmill Club in November 2009, taking its rare neon sign with it. The damaged remains stood for several more years before the property was finally cleared in 2017. 09-26

Hotsy Totsy Club
Albany, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

There is nothing shy about the vintage neon marquee outside Hotsy Totsy Club in Albany. Its unusual lettering, colorful crisscross pattern, and old-fashioned metalwork make it an especially memorable sight along San Pablo Avenue. Best of all, the complete sign was glowing when this nighttime photograph was taken.

The neighborhood bar dates back to 1939. During the World War II shipyard years, it reportedly opened as early as 6:00 in the morning to serve workers coming off the graveyard shift. Inside, vintage barstools, a shuffleboard table, a pressed-tin ceiling, and black velvet paintings preserve plenty of its old character.

UPDATE: Hotsy Totsy remains open as Albany’s oldest operating bar, now pairing its classic dive atmosphere with a respected craft-cocktail program. The historic marquee was restored and continues to glow over San Pablo Avenue, although individual sections occasionally require a little neon maintenance. 09-26

Club Mallard
Albany, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Another glowing martini can be found along San Pablo Avenue at Club Mallard in Albany. The vintage neon marquee pairs the club’s name with a colorful cocktail glass, giving passing motorists a proper invitation to stop for a drink.

The building has operated as a bar since the 1930s, with the Club Mallard name appearing in 1945. Inside is an eccentric collection of spaces, including a hunting-lodge-style room, pool tables, fireplaces, an upstairs lounge, and a tiki-inspired patio with fire pits.

UPDATE: Club Mallard remains open as a popular neighborhood watering hole. Its vintage martini-glass sign continues to glow outside, while the sprawling interior remains just as unusual and entertaining as the marquee suggests. 09-26

The Shanty (Gone)
Woodland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A glowing promise of “Mixed Drinks” once greeted nighttime travelers outside The Shanty in downtown Woodland. The double-sided neon marquee combined bold block lettering with the tavern’s more decorative nameplate, making it a bright landmark along Main Street.

The sign probably dated from the 1950s or 1960s and was photographed by several roadside preservationists before disappearing. Unfortunately, little verified history about the tavern itself has surfaced.

UPDATE: The Shanty is gone, along with the building and its vintage neon marquee. 09-26

Bella's Club (Gone)
San Jose, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The neon was fully alive outside Bella's Club in San Jose. Its colorful marquee featured a tilted martini glass with a trail of animated bubbles, providing passing motorists on West San Carlos Street with a glowing invitation to stop for a drink. There was certainly no mistaking this place for a coffee shop.

Bella’s was a laid-back neighborhood tavern known for cheap beer, jukebox music, and a steady crowd of local regulars and San Jose State students. A portrait titled “Bella the Legend” hung above the back bar, leaving little doubt about who ruled the place.

After Bella’s closed, the building became the Glass Gecko, complete with another memorable neon sign. Bears Cocktail Lounge eventually moved into the same space, continuing the property’s long tradition as a neighborhood watering hole.

UPDATE: Bella’s Club is long gone, and its animated martini marquee has been removed. Bears Cocktail Lounge remains open in the building. 09-26

Old Ironsides
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Another Sacramento bar glowing after dark is Old Ironsides. Its vintage double-sided marquee combines bold neon lettering with a smaller “Mixed Drinks” panel, adding a colorful nighttime accent to the old brick building.

The neighborhood institution opened in 1934, shortly after Prohibition ended, and reportedly received Sacramento’s first post-Prohibition liquor license. It later became an important live-music venue, hosting early appearances by bands including Cake, Sublime, Everclear, and Death Cab for Cutie.

UPDATE: The original “recently turned 70” description is now well out of date. Old Ironsides celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2024 and remains open under new local ownership. Live music continues inside while the familiar neon still glows over the corner. 09-26