A secret speakeasy in a California home has amazed the internet, with a Realtor saying it was nothing like he had seen before.
Speakeasies—underground or hidden bars—became popular during the Prohibition era, which lasted in the United States from 1920 to 1933. During this time, the production, transportation, and the sale of alcohol was illegal.
Realtor Jose Prats, director of character homes at Christie's International Real Estate in Beverly Hills, told Newsweek that his client came across the speakeasy while renovating the Los Angeles home, which she had not viewed before purchasing.
He told Newsweek: "She was from the Bay Area so she bought it sight unseen because it was a good deal. She did the inspections after.
"During the renovation process, after she bought it, we discovered this thing in the closet that opened up and it turned out to be a speakeasy."
Prats shared a video on TikTok of the discovery, opening a closet and lifting up a hatch in the floor, revealing a staircase down. In the clip, he descends the tight stairs to enter a small, dark room that contains a Prohibition-era bar, complete with wall sconces, a bar countertop and shelves for holding drinks.
"It was shocking," Prats told Newsweek. "Usually, if you have a trap door, you'll have like a little what's called a California basement, eight by eight feet and all open to the closet space. But this one was all decked out and ready for a party."
Jose's video showing the speakeasy, which was posted on TikTok on November 28, has racked up more than 700,000 views.
"Believe it or not—this is a real Prohibition Era Speakeasy!" Prats wrote in the caption of the post. "My client bought this very cute Spanish house to fix it up and we found a secret door in the closet floor. The underground room was covered in dust and spiderwebs."
The property has since been sold on to a couple who "enjoys this bar very much," Prats said.
Prohibition-era bars often had hidden entrances, and a subculture began to grow, with many clubs offering live jazz for visitors, The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, explains.
Many TikTok users taken aback by Prats' video, and hundreds of people took to the comments section to share their thoughts.
"WHERE is this? I have an older home in LA with a basement but no speakeasy. I. Feel. Cheated," said @humanbeing150.
Cassie commented: "The way I'd turn this into an actual speakeasy for the neighbors …"
Jamie wrote: "You need to revamp it and make it functional again!" to which Prats replied: "We did. We had a great open house party down there."
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