Living Social in New York: Good Comedy Still Exists

Image credit: dangerfields.com

If you walk along any avenue or street in Manhattan, there are lots of restaurants on every given block. There is always something going on in New York City; unfortunately, we don't always have the funds to go out and have a nice time. Realizing this, someone decided to create Living Social, which supplies you with great deals every day, usually 50% off their regular prices, if not more than that. Driven by the desire to save money and seduced by exciting offers, you often get vouchers to places you would have never visited otherwise, and that's the beauty of it: you discover new restaurants, dance studios, beauty salons, clothing stores and many other businesses in the metropolitan you live in.

Lots of choices you have, indeed. However, what can be better than a $5 for two comedy show tickets to Dangerfield's, proud to be "voted #1 comedy club in America," as well as "the longest running comedy club in the world?" Compare to $20 per person cover charge without the discount, and you definitely start feeling good about the deal you are getting from Living Social.

As the venue is located on First avenue between 61 and 62 streets, a walking distance from the entrance to Central Park and a variety of fancy hotels in Midtown Manhattan, it is only logical that the majority of the public are tourists from different parts of the United States and the world. The location is convenient and easy to find; the sign is large and can be seen from a few blocks away as you are walking towards the venue.

When you come into the club, you are welcomed by the staff and seated at small tables with lamps lit by candles with tiny orange couches to sit on, which are just comfortable enough for two skinny people. There are also bigger tables available if you are not a couple but a group. The lampshades are made of paper, and there are inscriptions all over them, which make you think about all the people who had been at the club before you. The decor is old-fashioned, and you feel that the place surely has a history to it. The size is good to accommodate up to 100 people, but not enormous enough to lose its coziness, the feeling of intimacy that allows the performers to put their microphone away if they wish. 

After you sit down and take a quick look around, your attention switches to the menu. You notice that they serve food, including snacks like french fries, salads and mozzarella sticks, as well as entrees like fish and chips and other platters. There is a menu for specialty drinks as well, and since you are obliged to get the minimum of two drinks anyway, there is no reason why you shouldn't try one of those frozen tropical cocktails or more appropriate for the winter Irish, Italian or Mexican coffees. The waiters are polite and quick, and you will usually get what you ordered fast, which helps when you are hungry or thirsty. 

By the way, the service is omniscient but not imposing; you are only gently reminded that you need to keep up with the two drink minimum if the show is running to its end, and you happen to turn into a slow drinker all of a sudden. The 15% gratuity is included, but if you do like the way you were served, you can always throw in some extra bucks as a token of appreciation for the great job they did. 

Even though you immensely enjoy your food and drinks that are delicious but pricey (over $10, on average), the main reason why you came to Dangerfield's is the comedy show, and here comes the first comedian. To your great surprise, after hearing lots of boring vulgar jokes at other places in New York City and being convinced that good comedy is gone forever, the performers are indeed witty and funny at the club, with the subjects like American reality, New Yorkers and their grieves, and simply our everyday life as we know it. The language does get rough at places; however, the "f-words" are not put into every sentence, and unlike monologues of lower quality that talk about nothing but sex and drugs you can often hear live or on TV, the speeches here are based on a sane sense of humor you can easily relate to. Therefore, even though every comedian gets as much as about 30 minutes, you hate to see them go unless, of course, they picked on you during their monologues and you feel like it could be a good idea for them to switch their attention to someone else. 

And as the show is finished, you wonder how it is that two hours of your time vanished so quickly. Blaming it on the two drinks minimum and the state of excitement the jokes of the comedians put you into, you are already thinking about when you are going to come back, even though you are still there sipping the last drops of your cocktail. If you are planning to visit the club again in the nearest future, be aware of special deals and discounts for weekdays and even weekends Dangerfield's website offers, so that you will be even more enticed to come back and check out more funny people performing there.

And the best thing about the experience is realizing that there still is good comedy out there in New York City, and that's always such a great feeling when you find a place worthy of returning.

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