Travel Tips

It is said that laughter really is the best medicine. If that is the case then Seattle should be a pretty healthy city. There is plenty of laughter to be had in this great city and even more to be shared with those who choose to visit. If you are planning a trip to Seattle Washington, be sure to check out the many comedy clubs that can be found throughout the city.

There are at least three of these comedy clubs that stand out and make a lasting impression. The first one is Comedy Underground. With locations in both Seattle and Tacoma you can pretty much take your pick between whichever one has the comedian you are most interested in seeing perform. The clubs actually have a fairly impressive menu and you are allowed to eat during the show. Just make sure that your food doesn’t smell too good or the comedian might heckle you. The really good news is that Comedy Underground is open 7 nights a week with several open mic nights when you can see local talent. Those are often the most interesting to watch. Tickets can be purchased for reasonable prices; especially during open mic nights and the performances are a lot of fun to watch. This is a great way to spend an evening and bring a date.

Giggles Comedy Night Club is the next one on my list. This club is only open Thursday through Sunday nights and has a one-drink minimum when there is a headliner and a two-drink minimum on open mic nights. Giggles features acts that you may have seen around a bit rather than only offering local talent. The comedy is good and the drinks are better. This is a great place to go and bring a group of friends along. The more the merrier when it comes to comedy, laughter, and liquor. Just remember to appoint a designated driver or have other plans for your ride home.

Now we get to the Jet City Improv. The Jet City Improv has grown and expanded over time and is now one of the most popular theatre experiences in the Seattle area. One of the great things about these shows is that they are suitable for all ages. So this is a more family friendly environment than most other comedy clubs in the area. The entire show is improvised nightly based on audience participation and suggestions. This is one of the most hilarious theatre experiences you can possibly imagine. And the more you can imagine the funnier it will get. I seriously recommend that you bring some Advil or some other sort of pain medicine along with you, as your sides will hurt before the night is over.

Whether you are a serious fan of comedy or someone who is only interested because it is a liver performance, I think you will be surprised by how much fun you have at any one of these three locations. My personal favorite is the improv but this is solely based on the audience participation factor and the fact that you pretty much know what to expect when going in. You never know what you are going to get when you hit an open mic night at some comedy clubs-sometimes the show is wonderful and sometimes the show is not so wonderful. The important thing is that you laugh often and you laugh well.

The nightlife is a big part of the New York culture, there’s no reason if you are able, willing, and have no children to keep you in the room at night that you are your date for your New York City vacation can’t get out and hit the town while checking out some of the wonders of New York nights.

The problem is that there is no one size fits all when it comes to nightclubs, bars, and lounges. Each of these is well represented in almost any New York neighborhood and it really is up to each individual to find the bar or club that works best for them. The best recommendation I can give anyone is to check out the acts that are headlining and find an act that you think will suit your style and tastes.

If you’re in the mood for laughter, then a comedy club might be the best for you. If you’re looking for a nice quiet place where you and your date or mate can converse quietly and contemplate life and love then a piano or jazz lounge might be the best option for you. Trying to suggest a bar in New York is almost as difficult as trying to recommend one on Bourbon Street, they are all somewhat alike and yet they are all very different. The trick is in finding the one that suits you best.

Now, if you want to get terribly sloshed and have a rousing good time, then I will suggest a karaoke bar. What could be better than an off key sing-along to bad eighties music? Not much, but laughing at someone else for doing it is much better than getting up there and doing it yourself. There is so much potential for fun to be had and only you are the one that can decide if you would even consider enjoying certain moments. We all have music we prefer, crowds we prefer, and more importantly music and crowds we’d rather avoid.

The good news is that within New York City there are bars that represent almost any musical tastes in history, and then a few more. Chances are that there’s a bar somewhere that offers the kind of music you prefer or are in the mood for tonight. Some of these bars will have live bands or one man/woman shows and some will have DJs spinning tunes till last call or the sun comes up. There’s Jazz, Hip Hop, The best and worst of the 80’s, the 90’s, alternative, country, techno, pop, smooth jazz, R&B, Manilow and Streisand, the 70’s, Classic Rock, and so many more my head spins trying to think of them all. Somewhere in the mix there has to be something that works for you, or perhaps silence or simple piano ballads are the way to go.

Whatever your music and whatever your mood there is a bar or a club in New York that has something that will speak to you. And if you are in a particularly dark mood, they have clubs for that too. Many of us use our vacation time to explore other aspects of our nature, if you are interested in trying out new music or a new crowd; New York City is a big anonymous city in which to try new things. Just don’t have so much fun that you decide to stay.