New York's Comedy Scene, As Loved By George Carlin And Wife
Sally Wade, a comedy writer and performer, is the author of The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade, a comedic glimpse into her day-to-day life with her late husband. Inseparable for the last 10 years of Carlin's life, Wade says the couple felt as if they existed in a parallel reality called Jupiter as a way of dealing with how they felt so alienated from, as L.A Weekly puts it, "the planet of Squares known as Earth." The book also serves as a goofy, romantic guide on how to have a relationship "in a secret code so the FBI can't crack it." Below are picks Wade shared about some of her and Carlin's favorite clubs where the pair checked out local talent. Find out more at The George Carlin Letters page on Facebook or simonandschuster.com.
The Gotham Comedy Club
208 West 23rd St.
Between 7th and 8th Avenues
New York, NY 10011
(212) 367-9000
Reviews, directions and details
George and I liked the Gotham – it's not a tacky comedy club, in fact you might want to move in there. It was opened in 1996 by Chris Mazzilli and Michael Reisman. Mazilli, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, knows how to make a night spot trendy. Everyone from Lewis Black to Seinfeld (who I once saw getting into his Porsche) performs at this club. Don't forget to try the charbroiled sirloin burger with onions rings. It'll make you laugh even harder, according to my dog, Spot.
The Comic Strip
1568 2nd Ave # 1
New York, NY 10028
(212) 861-9386
Reviews, directions and details
The Comic Strip is a cool and friendly club to hang out in. You never know what's going to happen – that's the exciting part. I have fond memories of George and my dog Spot sitting at the bar, chatting with everyone in the place. As usual, George was introducing me to the staff, encouraging me to go on stage and get my feet wet. (Fortunately, Spot talked me out of it and my feet stayed dry.) This fun club has launched many comedy legends, including Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock.
