Funny People & Places in NYC
In honor of your girl starting stand up comedy this year, I thought it would make sense to write a blog on my favorite comics and comedy spots in NYC. If you think Matt Rife or Aziz Ansari is funny, these are not the places or people for you <3
Matt Rife just isn’t funny and I have personal beef with Aziz……. a blog for a different date. But I should preface this blog by saying that my sense of humor is dry as fuck. The drier, the funnier to me. No knock knock shit, no sexual shit. If your jokes are only about sex and being a fucking prude then you aren’t funny <3 I love a comedian with personal stories, shocking plot twists, dry humor and a good ass delivery. Comedy is kind of like opinions: not everyone agrees with you. And that is ok. But also keep in mind, it is just comedy and it is not everyone’s cup of tea :)
Funny Places in NYC
Believe it or not there are only about 25 comedy venues in NYC but a ton of bars and restaurants have comedy nights and that is where the funny people live! These are my favorite places in NYC to watch some great comedy with a total New York City vibe. Some of these venues do not have a cover or a drink minimum (but it is always good to support local bars) or do not need a reservation to. Also, if you have favorite comedians in NYC they post on their social media channels where they will be performing and like I said, the more underground the better and more funny in my opinion :)
Comic Strip Live- Great spot. Where Jerry Seinfeld performed as a teenager and where I performed as a 27 year old for the first time. This is also where I took my first comedy class. Because I have performed there so much and have been to a lot of shows there, of course there are some hit and miss comedians. But the staff is always a hit. I love the people that work there so much. They are such a vibe along with the club itself. It has been featured in a lot of shows & movies and it is New York comedy to a T. Cash only, always, for tickets and drinks. You can buy tickets at the door or online. They also have a 5pm show every other Saturday for beginner comedians and that show is a vibe and cheaper than the other shows.
Comedy Cellar (Black Fat Pussycat, Village Underground)- Most famous comedy clubs in NYC and they live up to their name. There are 3, all owned by the Comedy Cellar but all three have different line ups and times and locations (on the same block though). Unfortunately, because it is so good, it has also become the tourist destination so you are fighting locals and tourists to get a seat at one of these clubs. You simply have to make a reservation in advance online on their website. I have gotten in on the waiting list ONCE and it was in 2019 and we were lucky. If you are traveling from out of town to NYC to see comedy, make a reservation here.
Stella & Fly- This is one of those hole in wall bars that does comedy also. Stella & Fly is a cute wine bar and regular bar if you want, lol. But I love the shows they put on here. Something about smaller venues too are that the comedians do faster sets, so that way you can see more comedians, which I personally love. Stella & Fly is all the way in the UES near the Comic Strip and you can actually hit both in one night if you feel like LAUGHING!
Black Cat LES- I do not know how to describe this place. Each time I have been here, I have either been afraid for my life or laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. It is literally a hole in the wall/basement. LMAO. It is kind of like the Friends coffee shop except comedians threaten your well-being and/or make you laugh super hard. This is the definition of a New York secret comedy spot. Proceed with caution! LMAO.
Funny People in NYC
First and foremost, you should follow these people on Instagram immediately because they post when and where their next shows are in cool underground places in NYC. These are people who do not have a Netflix special (half the people who have Netflix specials aren’t funny) or make a ton of money but they are funny as fuck and I 100% think they should be the most famous comedians ever. Some I have met personally, some I have not. Either way, these are the funniest people in New York City in my opinion. Why are there so many men, damn?!
Judy Gold- Who doesn’t love a lesbian jewish woman? She is one of the funniest woman in NYC. She performs at the Comedy Cellar and all over NYC. Her podcast, It’s Judys Show, is a masterpiece. Remember when I said half the people who have a Netflix special are not funny? She HAS a Netflix special and is one of the funny ones! I love her stand up and she is killer!
Dan Naturman- I was lucky enough to be in the same line up as Dan (I got 5 minutes and he had 25 minutes LMAO) at the Comic Strip but had known him prior from performing at Comedy Cellar. Again, I love a dry sense of humor and Dan does that perfectly to a T. He performs all over NYC and performed in Paris during the Olympics. He is so funny and cool.
Peter Stewart- This guy!!!!!! No joke, if you follow Peter to one of his underground shows you will not be disappointed. He is a funny fucking guy from Canada (I know, I didn’t think Canadians could be funnier either). He has MC’ed a lot of my shows at the Comic Strip (which is where I met him) and has personally helped me write my jokes. I am patiently waiting for his Netflix special.
Max Marcus- Max’s stage presence is unmatched. I saw him perform one time at an amateur show and I immediately knew he was not an amateur. He has become one of my friends and every time I see him perform I cannot wait until he is famous and I can say he is my friend. He is insanely funny and he also performs at super cool underground places in NYC that are so cool- almost as cool as him!
DJ Hairston- LMAOOOOOO DJ is funny as fuck. He jokes about being a dad and being high as shit in the same joke. His energy on stage is so engaging and I am 100% entrapped in every word he says. He is so high energy and it is such a vibe in the crowd. He performs all over the US, not just NYC.
Lenny Marcus- My favorite comedian in NYC. He and Leslie Jones are good friends and I think they write jokes for each other, not sure? But Lenny is a golden comedian. Where the fuck is his Netflix special? He has been on Jimmy Fallen and performs at Comedy Cellar and travels all over. I have never met him personally but am a huge fan and his humor is top tier.
Thank you for reading this blog! Here is my first performance ever as a stand up comedian :)
