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Many of our Generation X readers may be aware of MTV’s The Real World, first shot in February 1992 right here in our district. For those that are unaware of this cultural milestone, the inaugural season of The Real World followed the life of 7 strangers of different backgrounds living together in a converted 4,000-square-foot duplex on Broadway and Prince Street. Upon its first airing, early critics called the series “painfully bogus” and “excruciating torture,” but it later earned a substantial following and defined the reality TV genre of the time.
29 years later, The Real World’s cast have reconvened in the original SoHo loft at 565 Broadway to produce a reboot of the reality TV show. Real World Homecoming: New York started airing on March 4 on the Paramount streaming service. Check out the teaser for the new series here. Or if you’re feeling nostalgic, re-watch the first 10 minutes of the first original episode.
Whether you are a critic of reality TV or an unapologetic indulger, The Real World was undoubtedly a cultural phenomenon that shaped both the entertainment industry and New York, and the quirky shared loft is and emblematic media representation of SoHo from the 1990s.
