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Producers of The Real World have staked out a set on Capitol Hill

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The Ballou Wright building on 12th Ave. (Image: Hunters Capital via Facebook)

It has been 18 years since Stephen slapped Irene outside their downtown apartment during a now infamous episode of The Real World: Seattle. The MTV reality show that follows a group of strangers living together for several months may now be planning a Seattle comeback, this time on Capitol Hill.

R.W. Productions, a California-based company linked with the production outfit behind The Real World franchise, filed paperwork last week to create a “movie studio” and temporary residence on Capitol Hill.

The company is proposing $50,000 in alterations to create a residence for 18 months at the 12th Ave Ballou Wright office building between Pike and Pine, according to a permit application filed with the City of Seattle.

MTV has not yet returned requests for comment. UPDATE (5/31): A MTV spokesperson confirmed the next season of The Real World will be filmed in Seattle this year. We have also reached out to building owners Hunters Capital about the temporary makeover. The season finale of The Real World: Go Big or Go Home aired on Thursday.

In addition to its tech and creative tenants like the Creature agency, the Ballou Wright building is also home to new-era juice bar and cafe Juicebox. CHS wrote about the building’s overhaul and tech-savvy tenants here in 2011. For years, the building was home to Klineburger Brothers, one of the largest custom taxidermists in the country.

The 32nd season of the reality show, known for the drunken antics of its subjects, could see an interesting plot line develop between the housemates and their potential neighbors at the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct.

Bunim/Murray Productions have revisited several cities during its 31 seasons of making The Real World, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood’s homegrown series, Capitol Hill, recently released the 14th episode of its second season on Huffington Post.

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Gary
Gary
7 years ago

Please cite your sources I.e. please cite Vevmo. They uncovered this story.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago

Oh…no. Just no. I don’t think Seattle can handle another “Real World” experience.

Mark MacIntyre
Mark MacIntyre
7 years ago

They should change the name of their show to “Unreal World,” or face litigation!

Neighbor
Neighbor
7 years ago

Oh god, please don’t!

Pete
Pete
7 years ago

Businesses are already banning them from filming at their locations. This should be fun.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Good to hear. There is some publicity that is truly “Bad”.

AR
AR
7 years ago

This is horrible news. I guess they will fit right in with the weekend night and Capitol Hill Block Party crowd….but the rest of the neighborhood will not be pleased.

Fred
Fred
7 years ago
Reply to  AR

They actually are a quiet production. The cast can’t play any music since the producers don’t want to pay rights and they are limited in to the number of guests at any one time, so they can’t have parties. Only nuisance is the production bright lights and camera crews and their vans. But not like it’s a college house with keggers.

genevieve
genevieve
7 years ago
Reply to  AR

I think AR meant the neighbors of the area won’t be pleased when this circus leaves the apartment, rather than expressing concern for the neighbors in the building.

And yes, they will fit right in with the new Cap Hill crowd.

AR
AR
7 years ago

Yes genevieve, that is what I meant. Disruption to the neighborhood. Just another thing for me to avoid, like leaving my house after 9 PM on weekends. But I do feel bad for any other tenants in that building as well!

Rob
Rob
7 years ago

Bunim-Murray are the producers of Real World not RW Productions

Preppy6917
Preppy6917
7 years ago

I’ve lived in a neighborhood during Real World filming before. It didn’t affect my neighborhood, or my life, one bit.

This is much ado about nothing.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

Really? And what Real World filming did you live close to before, where and what year was it.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

I lived in *a* neighborhood during a Real World filming too, and it didn’t affect my life or neighborhood a bit either.

Of course, it wasn’t the SAME neighborhood where the filming was taking place. But it was a neighborhood!

Preppy6917
Preppy6917
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

I lived in Uptown New Orleans during the filming of Real World: New Orleans in either 2009 or 2010. Some of the cast members worked out at my gym. Amazingly, they’re just college-aged people.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

I’m not following what “Preppy6917” or something something “98122” are trying to say. Could you please communicate how it actually effected your neighborhood? And [to both of you], please let us know what city, what neighborhood, and what year.

Simple question, I think.

I’ve also lived near the filming of various things, so naturally I want to know the facts. Where, when, how…this should be easy.

Preppy6917
Preppy6917
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

I was just trying to provide some reassurance that filming the Real World in Capitol Hill does not, in fact, mean the sky is falling. In true Capitol Hill fashion, however, the other commenters would rather express hatred for a total of 7 young adults they don’t know. It’s laughable that everyone here considers themselves so freaking enlightened, when in actuality they express disdain towards everyone that isn’t like themselves.

I’m sure a lovely, merry, Capitol Hill existed at one time, but I’m equally sure it was in no part due to those constantly screaming to “save the neighborhood” now.

HugeDoosher
HugeDoosher
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

Much ado about nothing is right.

Too many people act as if they own part of the identity of Capitol Hill. Chances are that most of these people weren’t around the last time the Real World crowd was about town.

Stop worrying about what large media outlets are doing that you are powerless to do anything about, and start getting real.

AR
AR
7 years ago
Reply to  Preppy6917

@HugeDoosher
But don’t we own part of the identity of the neighborhood if we live here? Or work here?
I personally have been here since 1987 so I do feel a connection to Capitol Hill.
At least the last time the Real World was in town they were living way down on a pier away from a densely packed neighborhood.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago

Thank you, Preppy6917. I really wanted to know and I thank you for telling me.

Apologies if I seem rough today but I’m rather sick of camera’s in general and would rather not see yet another production company show up in town.

boringnews
boringnews
7 years ago

Who cares. It adds some more color to the neighborhood at least.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago
Reply to  boringnews

And where do you live, Yakima?

Janet
Janet
7 years ago

“I was just trying to provide some reassurance that filming the Real World in Capitol Hill does not, in fact, mean the sky is falling. In true Capitol Hill fashion, however, the other commenters would rather express hatred for a total of 7 young adults they don’t know. It’s laughable that everyone here considers themselves so freaking enlightened, when in actuality they express disdain towards everyone that isn’t like themselves.

I’m sure a lovely, merry, Capitol Hill existed at one time, but I’m equally sure it was in no part due to those constantly screaming to “save the neighborhood” now.”

Oh, hon, I didn’t deserve that, but go for it anyway. I never said “the sky is falling”, just concerned that another repeat of a disastrous “Real World, Seattle” was simply a bad idea.

Heh…

Preppy6917
Preppy6917
7 years ago
Reply to  Janet

I’m sorry….that rant was less directed at you than at the overall tone I hear every day from people living in Capitol Hill.

The Real World isn’t my favorite show (though I thought the first 4 or 5 seasons were pretty interesting), but they should have no less right to film their show than anyone else.

AR
AR
7 years ago

I unfortunately caught a bit of the recent Real World flipping through channels. It was like a train wreck, hard to look away it’s so horrific. Basically they were all getting wasted, trying to have sex with each other or people at the bar, and talking shit to each other/fighting. Like I said, they will fit right in with the people who come to Capitol Hill to party on the weekends.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
7 years ago
Reply to  AR

Well of course it was. There’s a reason Jerry Springer gets higher ratings than C-Span.

Janet
Janet
7 years ago

I lived in Seattle during “Real World, Seattle” [part one]. It was a long time ago now, so yeah, I’m old. I’ve lived in the most central area of Capitol Hill for some time now. It’s my home, it’s my hell, and sometimes it’s my heaven.

I’m just trying to say that production company’s [geared towards anything] are often bad for the neighborhood. Of course “the hill” will survive. And so will everyone that can continue to afford living here…and that’s the rub.

That’s all. I know people in the music industry, people on the streets, and I’m just saying, camera’s on the loose filming a high-octane lifestyle change everything.

Annnnnnd, that’s all. Apologies. If it happens? Whatever.

Mimi
Mimi
7 years ago
Reply to  Janet

I doubt the cameras will “change everything”.

Nelly Lizarraga
7 years ago

Oh…no. Just no.

Max
Max
7 years ago

I remember when they filmed Real World Seattle last time, some people wore FUCK THE REAL WORLD t-shirts which would always have to be cut out if ended up in shot backgrounds. I know they shot in R Place and Neighbours but not remembering other Capitol Hill shots.

genevieve
genevieve
7 years ago
Reply to  Max

I wonder if anyone kept those shirts. A smart entrepreneur will make more for the next time (if it comes to pass).

I find it annoying, but I don’t think these kids will be any different than the usual weekend crowd – which was NOT the case last time the RW filmed here.

MarciaX
MarciaX
7 years ago
Reply to  Max

I don’t expect to see anywhere near the same degree of backlash this time (whether or not that’s a good thing). In 1998 MTV was perhaps the nation’s single most powerful influencer of youth culture, and consequently there was a widely shared sense that TRW was a vehicle for capitalizing on local music scenes without contributing anything to them. This may still be true, but nowadays MTV is just part of the background noise, culturally speaking. Few people other than those directly impacted will likely take much interest in its doings here. I for one didn’t even know TRW still existed.

Jade
Jade
7 years ago

I for one am extremely excited TRW is coming back to Seattle. I’ve been craving this type of experience and I will be doing my best to be one of the blurred out faces in the background. I am particularly excited to see where the housemates will work…

My money is on a coffee shop, a bike shop or a juice bar.

Thoughts?

Jedadiah
7 years ago

So… basically it’s drunk bankrolled young people blowing emotions out of proportion and annoying residents? Real World: Capitol Hill has been running for a while already…

Melissa G
7 years ago
Reply to  Jedadiah

If the reception they received last time they were in seattle is any indication I don’t expect a much better one this time especially considering the neighborhood they chose to use this season. Last time they were here everybody hated them and they got so much shit by people everywhere they went. I wish them luck. The only thing I can say is atleast the panhandling punk rock junkie crowd is not nearly what it used to be just a few years ago. And for whoever said it was only 7 roomates,check again cause it’s actually 14. I’m just glad I don’t live on Capital Hill anymore and haven9for a while. My neighborhood now is definitely not somewhere the precious roommates would ever want to go especially at night. Good luck to y’all who still live on the hill.

Karyne Lynch
Karyne Lynch
7 years ago

I love The Real World series. But I hate, Real World Seattle, not interesting at all. I’m 52 and I’ve never missed a season. But this season is absulety horrible.