From K-QED. The historic Claremont Hotel in Oakland is nothing short of an absolute stunner.

It's got a castle-like architecture that looks like nothing else

you'll see in the Bay Area. The whole facade is brilliantly white, like even the

windows and the roof tiles are white so it really pops against the

eucalyptus grove behind it and it's bursting with luxury amenities a pool

tennis courts a spa spa, the works.

But the one amenity it didn't have for a very long time, a bar.

It was always interesting to me that you'd have this really grand Hopkins of Oakland.

And it's beautiful in every way,

but it operated for a long time without a bar.

This is Sam Hopkins of Oakland.

He lives near the Claremont Hotel, and over the years has heard a lot of Oakland. He lives near the Claremont Hotel and over the years has heard a lot of speculation

about why the hotel didn't serve alcohol long before prohibition took hold. Were the owners part of the

temperance movement promoting abstinence from alcohol?

Was there actually a speakeasy there?

I heard there's a legend or a myth about a Berkeley co-ed who was part of helping them get their liquor license.

So that's an interesting story too, although I don't know if it's true or not.

What took so long for the place to finally get a bar?

Which just seems like, just so crazy. took so long for the place to finally get a bar.

Which just seems like just so crazy to think of a hotel without a bar,

especially one of that stature.

Today, on Bay Curious, we're answering Sam's question, which was the winner of our July voting round on Bay Curious.org.

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