Despite a comedy club owner’s 2020 claim that the pandemic has made New York City productive “Dead Forever,” it’s still very much alive and so is its vibrant comedy scene – merely adapting, surviving, and continuing to evolve. Clubs like Dangerfield’s may have closed, but the city is probably still the best incubator for comedians old and new. Here are some of our favorites for the live shows.
Asylum NYC
307 West 26th Street, Manhattan; asylumnyc.com.
Under a new name and ownership, this basement theater below Gristedes in Chelsea still offers some of the same performances you might have seen when the space was run by Upright Citizens Brigade. Most weeks, there are performances from Thursday to Monday. On Fridays, the house troupe Anti-refugee gifts perform skits and more with another guest comedian. Saturdays often feature musical improvisations like Baby Wants Candy and North Coast.
Bell House
149 Saturday Street, Brooklyn; thebellhouseny.com.
A permanent fixture in Gowanus since it opened in 2008, the club has a main hall with over 200 seats, with a stand-up room for a few hundred others to watch the biggest names graduate. indie bar school. Dan Licata and Joe Pera (from the host of Adult Swim’s “Joe Pera Talks With You”) “Dan Joe Snowman Show” on Tuesday. The owner of the club, City Farm Presents, also runs a smaller club, Union Hallon the nearby Park Slope, and hosts summer events in the Industrial City in Sunset Park.
Carolines on Broadway
1626 Broadway, Manhattan; carolines.com.
Located just north of Times Square, Caroline Hirsch’s basement club hosts suburban headlines from the traditional independent and social media spheres (recent titles include Yvonne Orji from ” Insecure” and Yamaneika Saunders from “Life & Beth”). Even the site’s former hitters are famous (see: Idris Elba). Hirsch also put on New York Comedy Festival, held across the city every November. The club has a minimum of two drinks.
This 120-seater on the Lower East Side is open to performers of all genres and enthusiasts of their interests. Sunday features RaaaatScraps, a weekly all-star improv collective born from the ashes of ASSSSCAT of the Supreme Citizens Brigade. The club streams some of its shows live.
Comedy cellar
117 Macdougal Street, Manhattan; edyycellar.com.
As seen on Comedy Central’s “This Week at the Comedy Cellar,” which aired just before the pandemic, the club promises A-list talent and unexpected outreach, so audiences The fakes were asked to put their phones in their pockets so they couldn’t record the activity. The lineup for next week is updated every Thursday on the website. There are eight shows during the week, and up to 15 on weekends at the Cellar and its sister clubs, Village Underground and Fat Black Pussycat, near the corner of West Third Street. You need to buy two food or drink items during a performance.
Comic strip
1568 2nd Avenue, Manhattan; comicstriplive.com.
This is the city’s ultimate comedy club. Its owner, Richie Tienken, dies in 2021, but the Upper East Side obsession that launched the careers of Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and many others continues to present nightly stand-ups. Jerry Seinfeld refurbished the location to shoot his 2017 Netflix special. You need to buy two food or drink items during a performance.
Gotham Comedy Club
208 West 23rd Street, Manhattan; gothamcomedyclub.com.
A favorite spot for the likes of Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan during the weeks they aren’t touring, this Chelsea club has spawned a number of TV shows in the years since it opened in 1996. The most reliable lineup is on Tuesday night thanks to “ComedyJuice.” The club has a minimum of two drinks.
Littlefield
635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn; littlefieldnyc.com.
The back of this bar in Gowanus has seating for 100 with a stand for another 200. Here’s a hot ticket to some of its variety and unique shows, especially Monday night’s “Butterboy,” hosted by Jo Firestone, Maeve Higgins and Aparna Nancherla, with music by DJ Donwill; and for the monthly Saturday performances of “Tinder Live With Lane Moore.”
Comedy Club New York
241 East 24th Street and 85 East Four Street, Manhattan; newyorkcomedyclub.com.
With two locations on the East Side, these clubs host a variety of nightly shows featuring up-and-comers you might recognize from late-night TV appearances or hit podcasts. Michael Kosta, reporter for “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,” hosts a showcase for the new prank, “Nice Try,” on Tuesday night at the East Village location. You need to spend a minimum of $18 on drinks or snacks during a performance.
QED
27-16 23rd Avenue, Queens; qedastoria.com.
Fun fact: Many New York City comedians still choose to live in Astoria than anywhere else in the city. So you never know who you’ll see performing in this neighborhood club, an intimate 74-seater with a book and gift shop next to the bar. On Friday, Katie Boyle and Lindsay Theisen host the “Transplants Comedy Show,” in which out-of-town comedians tell jokes and stories about New York, and their hometown.
Foothold
116 East 16 Street, Manhattan; thestandnyc.com.
The owners of this club, Patrick Milligan and brothers Cris and Paul Italia, recently bought an old Staten Island ferry with Pete Davidson and Colin Jost from “Saturday Night Live” to make it their next comedy destination. For now, however, the two rooms in their current location, just west of Union Square, host a variety of independent galleries and nightly podcast recordings.
West Side Comedy Club
201 West 75th Street, Manhattan; westsidecomedyclub.com.
Located below Playa Betty’s Mexican restaurant and serving food from there, this relatively new Upper West Side venue hosts comedy shows most weeks Tuesday through Saturday. You need to buy two food or drink items during a performance.
