Former Blue Crab Restaurant
The 7,747 square foot, two-story former Blue Crab Restaurant is located on Driscoll's Wharf overlooking America's Cup Harbor in Point Loma. The building is extremely secluded at the southern end of Driscoll's Wharf, far from busy North Harbor Drive and surrounded by the US Naval Training Center and America's Cup Harbor. After the Blue Crab Restaurant closed in January 2002, the building was reportedly occupied by a marine supply company.
During the filming of the series, a sand volleyball court was added in the parking lot and a fence was installed around the perimeter of the property with "Restricted Access" signs. A security guard was posted at the main gate of the fence during the entire length of filming. The renovations for the filming of the series were desiged by Katherine Spencer. Chris Burgin served as a Design Intern under Katherine Spencer.
"Built in the 1980s as part of the commercial fishing marina that later became Driscoll's Wharf, the as-seen-on-TV, temporary residence served as the longtime home of the Blue Crab Restaurant until it closed in 2002. Although the property is on Port of San Diego tidelands, where residential uses are not allowed, the Port of San Diego approved the use of the site as a reality TV set because of the short-term nature of the production.
"They came to us," Tom Driscoll said of The Real World Productions, Inc. proposal. "Some guy shows up from the production company and we immediately went to the Port. We took it to the board, and the board agreed to do it for a short-term deal." The production company made some minor tweaks to the Shelter Island building, which the Port said is 7,747 square feet when counting the outdoor decks.
The production company decorated the former restaurant's interior with an eclectic, marine theme in most rooms. The group outfitted the space with 30 cameras, according to news articles at the time. A hot tub was added to one of the outdoor decks and a small parking lot was converted into a temporary volleyball court. The commercial kitchen, however, was left intact." ('The Real World: San Diego' house in Point Loma slated for demolition, San Diego Union Tribune, 7/10/24.)
After the filming of the series was complete, the building's interior was repainted white in all rooms except the Washroom. The Washroom and Kitchen were the only remaining removations from the filming of the series. The exterior was later painted grey to match the neighboring buildings on Driscoll's Wharf.
The building is currently leased on a month to month basis to SemanticAI, a software firm.
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Former Blue Crab Restaurant Visit, July 2021
East Side, Entrance, Basketball Court, Front Door, Lounge Deck, North Side, Sand Deck, Volleyball Court, West Side
August 2012
East Side, Entrance, Basketball Court, Front Door, Lounge Deck, North Side, Volleyball Court, West Side
July 2004
2nd Floor Hallway, 3rd Floor Stairs, Bathroom, Blue Bedroom, Closets, Confessional Room, Control Room, Entryway, Grass Deck, Green Bedroom, Guest Bedroom, Gym, Kitchen, Laundry Room, Living Room, Office, Pink Bedroom, Phone Room, Sand Deck, Surfboard Storage Room, Washroom
August 2003
Across Harbor, North Side, Street
Post-Filming Pictures
Across Harbor, Basketball Court, East Side, Entrance, Gym, Lounge Deck, North Side, Volleyball Court
Blue Crab Restaurant
Exterior, Dining Room, Monument Sign
Exterior
Across Harbor, Dock, Entrance, Front Door, Lounge Deck, South Side, Spa, Volleyball Court, West Side
1st Floor
Confessional Room, Control Room, Guest Bedroom, Gym, Entryway, Laundry Room, Surfboard Storage Room
2nd Floor
Bathroom, Blue Bedroom, Closets, Grass Deck, Green Bedroom, Hallway, Kitchen, Living Room, Pink Bedroom, Sand Deck, Washroom
3rd Floor Loft
Office, Phone Room, Stairs
Floor Plans
1st Floor, 2nd Floor, 3rd Floor
Filming Dates
August - December 2003
Photo Credit: Lloyd Quinto
Updated - September 23, 2024