Louis Bank of Commerce, San Diego
During the boom years of the 1880s, San Diego thought it was the next San Francisco. In 1887, German-born entrepreneur Isidor Louis commissioned well-known architect John Bills Stannard to design a showpiece headquarters for his very own bank of commerce. The bank specialized in business loans, so this granite edifice, the first of its kind in the city, proved to be a perfect fit.
Downstairs, Louis indulged his entrepreneurial flair by opening the Maison Dor茅e, an oyster bar and ice-cream parlor so fancy it required ice shipped all the way from Lake Tahoe鈥攂y train(!)鈥攆or it was way before the refrigeration era. Indeed, if that doesn鈥檛 scream 鈥渃ommitment to fine dining,鈥� nothing does...
The Maison Dor茅e quickly became the social nucleus of Gaslamp glamour. Among its most renowned patrons were the famed lawman (and gambler) in the American West, Wyatt Earp, and his wife Josie. The two were as fond of oysters as they were of opportunity. Earp treated this place like a recruitment office for his gambling clientele, while the city鈥檚 elite slurped and schemed beneath the glittering chandeliers...
Architecturally, this four-story Queen Anne Baroque-Revival masterpiece practically sings grandeur鈥攆rom its twin towers. Bay windows jut out like stage performers, wrapped in cast terra cotta and carved wood. Between floors, stone panels radiate with elaborate motifs, giving the whole building its fitting nickname: The Queen of the Gaslamp.
After the bank鈥檚 exit in 1893, the Queen went through her rebellious phase. The upper floors morphed into the Golden Poppy Hotel, a lively establishment run by Madame Cora, a psychic with an eye for color coordination鈥攈er girls reportedly wore dresses matching the hues of their rooms.
By the 1970s, the building had traded corsets for cables when Ratner鈥檚 Electric store moved in, selling TVs and lamps galore. Locals dubbed it the 鈥淗ouse of a Thousand Lights,鈥� because, really, what else could you call a former bordello turned lighting store?
Though its towers were once removed, they were later restored鈥攑roving that in the Gaslamp, even old architecture gets a second act worthy of applause...
Downstairs, Louis indulged his entrepreneurial flair by opening the Maison Dor茅e, an oyster bar and ice-cream parlor so fancy it required ice shipped all the way from Lake Tahoe鈥攂y train(!)鈥攆or it was way before the refrigeration era. Indeed, if that doesn鈥檛 scream 鈥渃ommitment to fine dining,鈥� nothing does...
The Maison Dor茅e quickly became the social nucleus of Gaslamp glamour. Among its most renowned patrons were the famed lawman (and gambler) in the American West, Wyatt Earp, and his wife Josie. The two were as fond of oysters as they were of opportunity. Earp treated this place like a recruitment office for his gambling clientele, while the city鈥檚 elite slurped and schemed beneath the glittering chandeliers...
Architecturally, this four-story Queen Anne Baroque-Revival masterpiece practically sings grandeur鈥攆rom its twin towers. Bay windows jut out like stage performers, wrapped in cast terra cotta and carved wood. Between floors, stone panels radiate with elaborate motifs, giving the whole building its fitting nickname: The Queen of the Gaslamp.
After the bank鈥檚 exit in 1893, the Queen went through her rebellious phase. The upper floors morphed into the Golden Poppy Hotel, a lively establishment run by Madame Cora, a psychic with an eye for color coordination鈥攈er girls reportedly wore dresses matching the hues of their rooms.
By the 1970s, the building had traded corsets for cables when Ratner鈥檚 Electric store moved in, selling TVs and lamps galore. Locals dubbed it the 鈥淗ouse of a Thousand Lights,鈥� because, really, what else could you call a former bordello turned lighting store?
Though its towers were once removed, they were later restored鈥攑roving that in the Gaslamp, even old architecture gets a second act worthy of applause...
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Louis Bank of Commerce on Map
Sight Name: Louis Bank of Commerce
Sight Location: San Diego, USA (See walking tours in San Diego)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Diego, USA (See walking tours in San Diego)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Diego, California
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Creating your own self-guided walk in San Diego is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Old Town Walking Tour
Old Town is the oldest settled area in San Diego which claims to be the first site visited by Europeans on the West Coast of modern United States.
The Native American culture in the area, however, goes back thousands of years. Historically, this land had been a home to the Kumeyaay people who settled on the banks of the San Diego river since around 1000 AD. The first European explorer to... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
The Native American culture in the area, however, goes back thousands of years. Historically, this land had been a home to the Kumeyaay people who settled on the banks of the San Diego river since around 1000 AD. The first European explorer to... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Historic Gaslamp District Walking Tour
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
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Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
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Balboa Park, named after Spanish explorer Vasco N煤帽ez de Balboa, is one of the largest and most culturally significant urban parks in the United States. Established in 1868 as 鈥淐ity Park,鈥� this 1,400-acre area began as undeveloped public land before its transformation in the early 20th century into a center of art, culture, and recreation. Its evolution truly began with the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
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