{"id":63806,"date":"2026-08-18T03:00:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T01:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/once-condemned-this-wildly-ornate-1888-san-diego-victorian-now-has-a-hidden-speakeasy-titanic-props\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T03:00:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T01:00:24","slug":"once-condemned-this-wildly-ornate-1888-san-diego-victorian-now-has-a-hidden-speakeasy-titanic-props","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/ru\/once-condemned-this-wildly-ornate-1888-san-diego-victorian-now-has-a-hidden-speakeasy-titanic-props\/","title":{"rendered":"Once condemned, this wildly ornate 1888 San Diego Victorian now has a hidden speakeasy, \u2018Titanic\u2019 props"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

When Karen Groebli bought an 1888 Victorian in San Diego in 1997, she wasn\u2019t exactly getting a move-in-ready historic home.<\/p>\n

The property was boarded up, city-condemned, and in severe disrepair. <\/p>\n

Bringing it back would eventually require stripping the house down to its studs, reinforcing its foundation, replacing aging systems, restoring original architectural details, and embarking on an ambitious renovation that stretched across eight years.<\/p>\n

Nearly three decades later, that same Victorian has become one of the more unusual historic homes in San Diego \u2014 and it\u2019s now looking for its next owner.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The four-bedroom residence at 2133 2nd Avenue<\/a> in Bankers Hill has been listed for $4.7 million with Lindsay Dunlap of Compass. <\/p>\n

Spanning approximately 4,502 square feet, the home combines meticulously restored Victorian architecture <\/a>with a collection of antiques, architectural salvage, and unexpected additions accumulated during Groebli\u2019s years-long preservation effort.<\/p>\n

Groebli, an artist and preservationist whose creative background includes theater, fashion, mural work, and interior design, approached the project as much like an artistic undertaking as a conventional renovation.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Working with an architect and structural engineer, she took the house down to its framing and rebuilt its infrastructure, updating the electrical and plumbing systems and reinforcing the foundation. <\/p>\n

At the same time, original millwork was carefully restored rather than discarded.<\/p>\n

Years spent studying Victorian architecture<\/a> informed the restoration, but Groebli wasn\u2019t interested in creating a period-perfect museum.<\/p>\n

Instead, she added her own ideas to the house, including one of its most dramatic architectural features: a freestanding spiral staircase that she designed herself.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s also an elevator, although even that received an appropriately theatrical treatment. <\/p>\n

The system was reimagined with an antique cab and vintage-style scissor gates, turning a practical modern convenience into something that feels like it has been part of the house for generations.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lighting provides another layer of drama.<\/p>\n

More than 30 chandeliers, along with custom sconces, illuminate the interiors, creating an atmosphere considerably more elaborate than the stripped-back aesthetic found in many contemporary renovations.<\/p>\n

And some of the home\u2019s decorative elements come with stories of their own.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Four columns incorporated into the property reportedly came from the set of James Cameron\u2019s Titanic, while antique stained-glass doors <\/a>are believed to have originated at San Diego\u2019s historic Tivoli Bar. <\/p>\n

Period antiques and salvaged architectural pieces appear throughout, giving the interiors the collected-over-time character Groebli was after.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For a house dating to the late 19th century, there are also some decidedly fun surprises.<\/p>\n

Hidden inside is a private speakeasy<\/a>, tucked away as an intimate spot for drinks and entertaining. Outside, a secluded backyard provides another gathering space away from the city around it.<\/p>\n

The home\u2019s bedrooms are spread across several levels, with two guest suites and another ensuite guest bedroom providing accommodations below the top floor.<\/p>\n

That entire third level is reserved for the primary suite.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Multiple private decks take advantage of the home\u2019s elevated Bankers Hill position, opening up views across downtown San Diego, the harbor, Coronado Bridge, and out toward the Pacific. <\/p>\n

From here, ships moving through the bay and planes approaching San Diego International Airport become part of the panorama.<\/p>\n

The location also puts the house close to Balboa Park, Little Italy, Downtown San Diego, Petco Park, and the waterfront, while Coronado and La Jolla are within relatively easy reach.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Its historic status comes with a financial distinction as well. <\/p>\n

The property is historically designated and participates in California\u2019s Mills Act program, which can provide property-tax benefits for qualifying historic properties<\/a> in exchange for their continued preservation.<\/p>\n

The home can also be purchased furnished, potentially keeping much of Groebli\u2019s highly specific vision intact. <\/p>\n

The owners of the adjacent three-unit building are additionally open to discussing its sale, according to the listing, presenting the possibility of adding guest accommodations, rental units, or more space to the property.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sam Chen \/ Aloha Photovideo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Groebli\u2019s restoration work isn\u2019t her only long-running passion project. For the past 17 years, she has also operated a boutique nonprofit focused on rescuing and rehabilitating off-track Thoroughbreds and other horses.<\/p>\n

But in Bankers Hill, her most visible undertaking remains the Victorian she rescued decades earlier.<\/p>\n

What started as a boarded-up, condemned house from 1888 now has its original character restored alongside a spiral staircase, antique elevator, hidden drinking room, dozens of chandeliers, Hollywood-set artifacts, and some of the city\u2019s most recognizable views.<\/p>\n

For the next buyer, the $4.7 million asking price buys a very different house from the one Groebli took on in 1997.<\/p>\n

\u0411\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0435 \u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0439<\/strong><\/p>\n

A designer\u2019s picture-perfect Rancho Santa Fe estate lists for $14.5M after a total reinvention<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u041d\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c\u0435 1920-\u0445 \u0433\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0432 \u0432 \u041b\u0430-\u0425\u043e\u0439\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442, \u0447\u0442\u043e 100 \u043b\u0435\u0442 \u043d\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0434 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u043b\u0443\u0447\u0448\u0435<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>One of just eight homes on La Jolla\u2019s Billionaire\u2019s Bluff lists for $21.5M<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0441\u0442 Once condemned, this wildly ornate 1888 San Diego Victorian now has a hidden speakeasy, \u2018Titanic\u2019 props<\/a> \u0432\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0438\u043b\u0441\u044f \u043d\u0430 \u0414\u043e\u043c\u0430 \u0441 \u043c\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0431\u0440\u044e\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Karen Groebli bought an 1888 Victorian in San Diego in 1997, she wasn\u2019t exactly getting a move-in-ready historic home. The property was boarded up, city-condemned, and in severe disrepair. Bringing it back would eventually require stripping the house down to its studs, reinforcing its foundation, replacing aging systems, restoring original architectural details, and embarking […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nOnce condemned, this wildly ornate 1888 San Diego Victorian now has a hidden speakeasy, \u2018Titanic\u2019 props - Houses Marketplace<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/ru\/once-condemned-this-wildly-ornate-1888-san-diego-victorian-now-has-a-hidden-speakeasy-titanic-props\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ru_RU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Once condemned, this wildly ornate 1888 San Diego Victorian now has a hidden speakeasy, \u2018Titanic\u2019 props\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Karen Groebli bought an 1888 Victorian in San Diego in 1997, she wasn\u2019t exactly getting a move-in-ready historic home. 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