Entertainment & Performance Venues COMEDY CLUBS
holds 350 for receptions, with V.I.P. seating available. (131 West 3rd St., 212.475.8592) BOWERY BALLROOM
This popular 7,000-square-foot musical performance space and lounge incorporates Beaux-Arts construction with modern decor on three floors, including a wraparound balcony. Bowery holds 575 and has a bar on each level. (6 Delancey St., 212.260.4700) BOWERY ELECTRIC
performances, and the lower-level space, Vintage Lounge, holds 75. (208 West 23rd St., 212.367.9000 ext. 12)
BROADWAY COMEDY CLUB
This club opened in 1963 and quickly became the brass ring of comedy gigs. The theater district venue holds 275. Two theaters are also available, seating 160 and 180. The café upstairs provides catering; off-premise caterers are also permitted. (318 West 53rd St., 212.757.2323 ext. 43) CAROLINES ON BROADWAY
Carolines, which originally opened in 1981 in Chelsea, is now a theater district fixture. The theater, which seats 350, has lighting and sound systems and a 10-foot-high projection screen, and the showroom offers Wi-Fi. (1626 Broadway, 212.956.0101 ext. 203) COMIC STRIP LIVE
This classic comedy club on the Upper East Side, with cocktail tables and a small stage, has hosted stand-up greats including Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld. Seating capacity is 195. (1568 Second Ave., 212.861.9386) COMIX
This 14,000-square-foot comedy club has a 5,000-squarefoot, 320-seat flexible showroom with an expandable stage, two bars, and a 2,000-square-foot kitchen. The venue is equipped with Wi-Fi multimedia capabilities. The entire space holds 700. (353 West 14th St., 212.915.0425)
PEOPLES IMPROV THEATER
The PIT is not only a theater, but also a school and corporate workshop program dedicated to the development of original comedy. The theater seats 50 for its improv performances. Instructors lead groups through teambuilding exercises and lessons. (154 West 29th St., 212.563.7488) TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTER
This center is made up of one gallery main theater, which holds 350, and four smaller theaters. There are also three function rooms. The 15,000-square-foot venue holds five rooms, each with a stage and motorized drop-down screen. (669 Eighth Ave., 212.586.7829 ext. 303) UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE THEATRE
This 150-seat Chelsea theater is available for evening events. The comedy troupe holds improv classes, and there is a training studio nearby with six 18-seat rehearsal rooms and a 20-seat conference room. The theater has a 17- by 21-foot stage. (307 West 26th St., 212.366.9176)
B.B. KING BLUES CLUB & GRILL
This 16,000-square-foot club includes a performance space that seats 550. Across the hall is Lucille’s Grill, a 150-seat restaurant. Both are equipped with their own stages, bars, and restrooms and can be used together. Booking the music room gets you the marquee facing 42nd Street. (237 West 42nd St., 212.997.4511 ext. 58)
FRIARS CLUB
BITTER END
In a Renaissance-style town house built in 1909, the Friars Club hosts roundtables of jokes, roasts, and toasts in its banquet and meeting rooms. There are the wood-paneled Lucille Ball Celebrity Bar, the Sinatra Dining Room, and the Milton Berle Room. (57 East 55th St., 212.751.7272)
Billed as the oldest rock club in New York (it opened in 1961), the Bitter End is in Greenwich Village and filled with rock ’n’ roll-inspired decor. The list of people who have performed here runs from Cheech & Chong to Norah Jones. The club holds 220. (147 Bleecker St., 212.673.7030)
GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB
BLUE NOTE
In 2006, Gotham Comedy Club moved a couple of blocks north of its original space to a 10,000-square-foot, multilevel, column-free location. The venue seats 300 for
This West Village club has booked top jazz, blues, R&B, contemporary, and big-band performers since 1981. The 4,000-square-foot club serves American cuisine and
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COTTON CLUB
The Cotton Club has been around since 1923, booking Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, and Ethel Waters on its long roster of talent. A balcony that holds 25 is available for events, as is full catering, while the main floor holds 150. (656 West 125th St., 212.663.7980) CRASH MANSION
Record-release parties and evening showcases are a mainstay at Crash Mansion, beneath BLVD Lounge on the Bowery. The space features a bar, sound system, recording studio, photo booth, and exposed stonework walls. It holds 350 for receptions or seats 200. (199 Bowery, 212.982.0740) DON’T TELL MAMA
This nightspot has two cabaret rooms (one seats 52 and has a proscenium stage; the other is a small, raised platform that seats 72), plus a piano bar up front. A full restaurant is also available. (343 West 46th St., 212.757.0788) FILLMORE NEW YORK AT IRVING PLAZA
MUSIC CLUBS
This comedy club has launched the careers of comedians such as Jay Leno, Jim Carrey, and Tim Allen—and is, of course, named for the late, great Rodney Dangerfield. The club seats 225. (1118 First Ave., 212.593.1650)
DANGERFIELD’S
This intimate bilevel venue debuted its lower-level performance space in 2009. The Bowery Electric has its own stage and musical equipment, as well as a projection screen and two DJ booths. Upstairs, the bar holds 200, while downstairs holds 150. (327 Bowery, 212.228.0228)
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Formerly known as simply Irving Plaza, this is among the top venues for indie rock and alternative music in the city. The main ballroom features a full stage, a hardwood dance floor, and eclectic decor. The three-story club holds 1,000 for receptions. (17 Irving Place, 212.777.6817) IRIDIUM RESTAURANT AND CLUB
This jazz venue is decorated with geometrically shaped lamps and seat cushions, and seats 180. The club’s intimate basement is usually filled with the sounds of swinging jazz, while upstairs, Ellen’s Stardust Diner serves American cuisine. (1650 Broadway, 212.582.2121) NEW KNITTING FACTORY
The new location of the Knitting Factory opened in September 2009. Last housed in TriBeCa, the famed music club now offers two full bars, a 400-square-foot stage, and a DJ booth. On-site equipment includes sound proofing, an automated curtain system, and a large video screen. (361 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, 347.529.6696)
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