NEIGHBORHOOD side streets

STAND UP NY 236 West 78th StreetThe bar, which feels like a neighborhood spot with velvet wallpaper decorated with comedy and tragedy masks, is only the appetizer; the room stretches back into a full performance space where stand up comedians try out their routines. Every Monday from 5 to 7 pm and Thursday from 4 to 6 pm, Stand Up NY hosts an open mic. Gabe (Gabriel Waldman, the co-owner) jokes that all you need to perform on his stage is “$5 and a dream,” since you only need a fiver to put your name on the list. He says the demographic of comedians ranges from those who may eventually make it professionally to those who have a career and just want five minutes on the stage for fun.

For more photos and side streets, go to sideways.nyc.