You've probably seen it a thousand times. That wide, sweeping shot of a turquoise Art Deco tower nestled right in the heart of the Seattle skyline. It’s Bushwell Plaza, the legendary home of Carly Shay and her brother Spencer. If you grew up in the 2000s, that building—with its weird freight elevator and the legendary third-floor studio—felt like the ultimate hangout.
Honestly, it’s one of those TV landmarks that feels so real you’re tempted to put the address into Google Maps the second you land at SEATAC. But here’s the thing that kinda breaks everyone's heart: if you go looking for the iCarly building in Seattle, you aren't going to find it. Not in Washington, anyway.
The "Seattle" lifestyle we saw on Nickelodeon was basically a beautiful lie. Or at least, a very well-edited one.
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The Mystery of Bushwell Plaza
Let's get one thing straight. Bushwell Plaza is a fictional name. There is no building in the Pacific Northwest called Bushwell Plaza, and there never has been.
For years, fans have wandered around downtown Seattle, specifically near the Space Needle or the Queen Anne neighborhood, hoping to spot those signature turquoise tiles. They don't exist there. The show did a great job of name-dropping real Washington spots like Yakima, Tacoma, and Snoqualmie Falls to make the setting feel authentic. But the actual "bones" of the Shay apartment are located over 1,000 miles south.
The exterior shots used for the iCarly building in Seattle are actually the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.
Where is the iCarly Building, Really?
If you want to take a selfie in front of the real-life Bushwell Plaza, you need to head to the Broadway Theater District in Downtown Los Angeles. Specifically, 849 S. Broadway.
The Eastern Columbia Building is an absolute Art Deco masterpiece. Built in 1930 and designed by architect Claud Beelman, it’s famous for its "melting turquoise" terra cotta tiles and that massive four-sided clock tower. In the show, the production team used digital trickery to scrub the word "EASTERN" off the clock and replace the surrounding LA skyscrapers with the Seattle Space Needle and rainy clouds.
It’s actually a pretty funny irony. While Carly and Sam were complaining about the Seattle drizzle, the actors were usually filming on a soundstage in sunny Hollywood, specifically at Nickelodeon on Sunset.
Why the Eastern Columbia Building?
- The Look: Its turquoise color is incredibly rare for historic buildings.
- The Vibe: It has that "star power" aesthetic that fit Spencer Shay’s eccentric artist persona.
- The History: It’s a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, so it was already a celebrity in the architecture world.
Could You Actually Live in the Shay Apartment?
Let’s talk logistics. In the show, the Shays live in apartment 8-C. It’s a massive, three-story loft with a private elevator that opens directly into the living room.
In the real Eastern Columbia Building, these are luxury condos. They aren't cheap. Back in 2006, the building underwent a $30 million conversion to turn it from a department store headquarters into high-end lofts. If you wanted to live there today, you’d be looking at a multi-million dollar price tag for a space that big.
Plus, that iconic elevator? In the real world, an elevator that opens directly into your kitchen is usually reserved for the ultra-wealthy or repurposed industrial freight lifts. Most fans have pointed out that Spencer—a struggling sculptor who once built a "Toasty Latte" machine that caught fire—probably couldn't afford the HOA fees on an 8th-floor penthouse in a historic landmark.
There’s a popular fan theory that their dad, Colonel Shay, was paying the rent while stationed overseas. It’s the only way the math adds up.
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Seattle Icons vs. Hollywood Magic
Even though the building is in California, the show leaned hard into Seattle tropes. Remember the Groovy Smoothie? Totally a nod to the coffee and juice culture of the PNW. Or Skybucks? A very thin-veiled parody of Starbucks, which started at Pike Place Market.
The show's creator, Dan Schneider, chose Seattle because it felt "cool and different" compared to the usual New York or LA settings of most sitcoms. It gave the show a distinct personality. But if you look closely at the windows in the Shay apartment, the "view" of the Space Needle never changes. It’s a static backdrop (called a translight) that stayed the same for six seasons.
In the 2021 revival, the setting remains the same, and the "new" apartment still captures that industrial-chic look of the original. They even brought back the legendary doorman, Lewbert, to keep the Bushwell Plaza lore alive.
Tracking Down the iCarly Building in Seattle: A Quick Reality Check
If you are currently in Seattle and feeling disappointed, don't worry. You can still have a very "iCarly" day in the 206.
- The Space Needle: It’s the building Carly sees every day. Go to the top; it's the closest you'll get to the "view" from the studio.
- Pike Place Market: It captures that chaotic, artistic energy Spencer loves.
- The Monorail: It shows up in several transition shots and is a very real part of the Seattle transit system.
While the iCarly building in Seattle is technically a piece of Hollywood fiction, the spirit of the show—the weirdness, the creativity, and the rainy-day vibes—is 100% authentic to the city. Just don't go looking for a turquoise clock tower on 4th Avenue.
To experience the real-world architecture behind the show, your next move is to plan a trip to Downtown Los Angeles. Visit the Eastern Columbia Building at 849 S. Broadway to see the turquoise terra cotta in person. Just remember that it is a private residential building now, so you can't go inside to look for the elevator unless you know someone who lives there. Stick to the sidewalk for your photos and enjoy one of the most beautiful examples of Art Deco design in America.