Real World Brooklyn Housing

The [URL="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/06/01/2008-06-01_a_cast_of_pioneers_to_invade_belltel_lof.html"]New York Daily News[/URL] also has a blurb today: [quote]Want to guest star on "The Real World"? Stake out Belltel Lofts. The luxury condo building in downtown Brooklyn is the designated housing location for the MTV reality show's next cast. The new cast will reportedly shack up in the building's penthouse. Oh la la. Apartments in the 27-story building, located at 365 Bridge St., range in price from $500,000 for a studio to $1.4 million for the penthouse. And, according to Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, which sells condos in the building, plenty of residences are up for grabs. The neighborhood isn't exactly the Upper East Side, but the official Belltel Lofts Web site puts a nice spin on things by describing the location as a place "where pioneers settle." The site also details the "gracious brownstones, tree-lined streets and charismatic people" that make up "charming" Brooklyn - making no mention of downtown Brooklyn itself. "The Real World: Brooklyn" is scheduled to air in January of next year.[/quote]

[quote=V1man;14048]Not so fast there, O Great One! There may be false flags at work here... I might be inclined to trust a real estate insider website over TMZ. [URL="http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/real-world-eyes-carroll-gardens"]Real World eyes Carroll Gardens - The Real Deal New York Real Estate News[/URL][/quote] Yes, but that same article ([URL="http://vevmo.com/f56/real-world-brooklyn-season-21-a-1700/index13.html#post13336"]which is a week old[/URL]) also mentions Belltel and as any real estate developer knows, deals fall through all the time (that or the building owner was just trying to draw some interest to his property holdings which seem to be suffering occupancy issues.) TMZ might not be a real news organization, but the fact that the New York Daily News also ran with it gives me the impression that they have a source. I bet we will get a confirm or deny out of Belltel in the next 24 hours.

This is from [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/nyregion/27brooklyn.html?ref=nyregion"]the New York Times[/URL] on Tuesday: [quote]But a real estate developer said the location may likely be well outside Williamsburg, in the new BellTel Lofts in Downtown Brooklyn. Not near downtown, like Brooklyn Heights, but downtown-downtown, hard by the state and federal courthouses, the city’s emergency-response command center and the rows of barber shops, check-cashing services, fast-food joints and vendors selling counterfeit DVDs, religious statues and floor soaps that promise to remove jinxes. [/quote][quote]A spokesman for BellTel, named for the Bell Telephone sign that remains over the entrance, said it was in discussions with MTV. “It’s a chance to market the kind of MTV lifestyle to people who want to live like this,” said Ronn Torossian, a spokesman for the building. “People have a chance to live an MTV lifestyle. People who buy apartments in the building.” The 27-story building has apartments ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms, selling for $500,000 to $2 million, Mr. Torossian said. He said the show would help the neighborhood. “We think this building will continue to gentrify Brooklyn, and certainly having MTV there will only accelerate that. We expect that it will increase property values.” [/quote]Interestingly enough, everything I read about this specific downtown Brooklyn area would seem to suggest that it would be a horrible place for The Real World to set up shop.

[quote=EastNY;14051]Lolz the new york times is on crack if they think that is all there is to do in downtown brooklyn. [/quote] I like reading the Times, but will add that they are a bit stuffy and prudish at times. I am guessing the only person from the writing/editorial staff to go to BK for that article was the photographer (and maybe an intern to get some quotes.) They like their haughty brand spanking new Manhattan Skyscraper to much to visit Brooklyn and do objective on the ground reporting, lol. [CENTER][IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/New_York_Times_Headquarters.jpg/350px-New_York_Times_Headquarters.jpg[/IMG] [B]The New York Times[/B] [/CENTER]

[quote]The young and beautiful cast of next season's "Real World" will live the suite life in a $6 million, two-story penthouse perched high above downtown Brooklyn. The art deco-era Belltel Lofts on Bridge St. was named yesterday as the site of the MTV reality show's 21st season after weeks of frantic speculation. "We're excited," said David Bistricer, owner of the 27-story building that once held a telephone company but was converted to condos last year. "It is what it is. It's the 'Real World.'" The 6,000-square-foot, two-story penthouse includes two terraces, five bedrooms and 10-foot windows. A Jacuzzi and other amenities are also on the way, said Bistricer, whose building beat out 24 other Brooklyn digs for the starring role on the show. He also said there are safeguards in place to make sure the reality show's stable of rowdies don't irritate the 100 families who call Belltel home in real life. The show, which premiered in 1992, has been shot twice in Manhattan and in other large cities across the world, including London and Chicago. Each season the seven members of the cast - some of whom have been as young as 18 - have become increasingly promiscuous and rambunctious. "We've done a lot and the 'Real World' has done a lot to institute measures to make sure this doesn't bother the neighbors," Bistricer said. A contract signed Friday prohibits taping in the gym and other common areas of the 90-year-old building. A spokeswoman for MTV did not return calls for comment. The site will have the dubious distinction of being the smallest of the 20 previous "Real World" homes. Since MTV announced the series would jump to Brooklyn from its current Hollywood set, blogs have speculated that the cast would be housed in Williamsburg. But Bistricer said producers made the right choice. "Williamsburg is a story that is three years old," said Bistricer. "Downtown is a story in the making." [/quote][[URL="http://www.nydailynews.com/other/2008/06/02/2008-06-02_real_world_sets_up_6m_house_in_downtown_.html"]via New York Daily News[/URL]]

[quote=V1man;14060]If MTV really is still only in negotiations to secure a location, then they will be hard pressed to complete camera installation and a control room setup and be ready to start production in July.[/quote] Looks like the deal was inked on May 30th. They are going to be busy beavers to get this gig rolling in the short term (i.e. July!) ;)

[quote=stacee_danielle;14065]I have a feeling this house is going to be a let down compared to other recent ones...[/quote] Well, it is a [B]SIX MILLION DOLLAR LOFT [/B]- so it can't be all that bad, lol. ...but I know what you are saying. :D

[B]Real World Brooklyn Loft Pictures[/B]

I think there was confusion being that there is no unit inside of Belltel larger then 2700 sq ft [I]besides[/I] the penthouse (Las Vegas was around 3000 sq ft.) Looks like the Daily News was using the wrong figures when they made their "smallest" assessment. However, there is a slim possibility that production would snag an entire floor for their control room, confessional etc and cut the square footage in half (then it would be small!)

[QUOTE] But seriously, i'm excited, NY is a great place for the RW.[/QUOTE] I agree. I hope they stick with what they did with the Hollywood season and try and keep the cast generally in the part of the city that the show represents. In other words, there is plenty to do in Brooklyn, so don't spend the entire season in Manhattan. Maybe Nick can answer this for us, but I was given the impression that the cast was told to stay in Hollywood and not venture out (unless for very specific reasons.)