Comedy venues: Sights & Blights

Sights

Comix
Comedy clubs are supposed to be gritty dungeons where the outcasts of society gather to gripe and grovel. But man, is Comix a refreshingly swank alternative, from the hip bar at the entrance bar to the stage curtains hearkening back to Johnny Carson’s set. Beware, though: You pay for the digs in ticket and drink prices.

Carolines on Broadway
Rather than horribly dating the place, an ’80s design somehow lends this classic upscale room an exclusive feeling, like you’re stepping into a private club.

The Saturday Night Live audience
Those lucky enough to win the ticket lottery (or have connections) learn something important: Witnessing the behind-the-scenes atmosphere—lights, costumes, frenetic scene changes—makes the show so much funnier.

Blights

Broadway Comedy Club
Yeah, we know what we said about gritty dungeons, but a cave should at least have character. It’s difficult to ask audiences not to heckle when the room feels like a grade-school cafeteria.

Stand-Up NY
This old, venerable club brings talented stand-ups to the UWS, which is a good thing, because the bare-bones space has to be filled with something.

The standby line for SNL
Please don’t spend a night in the cold outside of 30 Rock watching trash fly past homeless people. The show is funnier live, but it’s not worth your dignity.