The Bear season 2 was released on June 22 much to the delight of women thirsting for line cooks, Chicagoans, and Hulu, who released data showing a 70% uptick in viewership compared to season 1.  


Though one Chicago resident, Geoff Cronin (@geoff.cro on TikTok), realized he wasn’t just watching The Bear, he was living in it.


Cronin noticed something familiar while watching Carmy – the show's protagonist – brooding in his apartment over his plans to open a restaurant, something so familiar he paused the episode and pulled out his phone to make a TikTok. 


@geoff.cro Realized we were watching our new apartment in the first episode of #thebear #thebearfx #chicago #apartments ♬ Handshake Drugs - Wilco


When apartment hunting, Cronin told us his landlord mentioned that a show has been filmed there, referring to it as some “cooking show.” But “cooking show” doesn’t quite capture the anxiety-inducing watch that is The Bear. Nor did it prepare Cronin for seeing his home on his television screen a few months later.


To be clear, The Bear season 2 was in production from February 21, 2023, to April 28. Cronin, who moved in May, 1 told us the production team did leave him a few housewarming gifts, gifts that included, “like three dozen eggs and a few Starbucks coffee cans. As well as a ton of Fatso’s Last Stand stickers.”



Currently, Cronin’s TikTok has nearly 400k views and over 40k likes. While it’s cool to be living in an apartment fit for TV, the realization has to be pretty surreal.


“It was very surreal. We had just seen my girlfriend’s apartment building in River North in a drone shot so when it went into my apartment, we freaked out,” Cronin told us in an email. 


“We had to stop watching and just paced around the apartment. We had to wait a few days to keep watching.”



One day you’re just in your apartment and then the next you’re watching your apartment. But what does this mean for the show and for Carmy? Does he move out? Does he move in with someone else?


Cronin is definitely a fan of the show but has some demands if the production wants to film in his place again for season 3.


“I think if they wanted to use some of my band's music (@modern_Dairy), I could stay with a friend for a week or two. Seems like a fair trade.”