Nightlife in Hoboken

Laughter flows from the New York Comedy Club's corridors, freshly squeezed from audiences' giggle boxes by the club's on-hand comedians, visiting performers, and enthusiastic novices. Weekly shows, such as The Clayton Fletcher Show, lure up-and-coming NYC comedians to showcase their best jokes, brandish their best impressions, and analyze government tax-code legislation. On tri-weekly open-mic nights, amateur humorists test their slapstick mettle alongside host Dan Gutin. In addition to entertaining crowds, the New York Comedy Club hosts classes in tandem with Laughing Buddha Comedy, helping aspiring comics or court jesters to improve their stage presence and perfect their knock-knock jokes.

Sending chuckles echoing throughout the surrounding neighborhood for more than 25 years, Standup NY has staged dozens of nationally acclaimed comedians including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Caroline Rhea, and Judah Friedlander. The intimate, 100-seat venue hosts as many as three available nightly performances from performers who have appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, and the kiss cam at an NBA playoff game. A full bar unleashes torrents of humor-helping cocktails, wine, and beer, and the kitchen plates piles of pub grub such as buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks chosen from a full menu of eats.

From an early age, Cielo owner Nicolas Matar may have been destined for a career in music. As a child, his lullabies were his parent's nonstop stream of disco, funk, and soul music. His father—a hobbyist DJ and an original member of the legendary Studio 54—even built a mini-club in the family basement, where Nicolas encountered a diverse array of music genres. Nicolas went on to DJ at top clubs across the world, eventually landing a resident position at the famous Pacha in Ibiza. After spending most of the '90s working the high-end nightclub scene, Nicolas returned home to New York to open Cielo, where he spins electronic-centric sets alongside top international DJs. Named as a top club by the likes of the International Dance Music Awards and DJ Mag, Cielo has earned worldwide renown for its unpretentious atmosphere, extraordinary sound-system, and dedication to quality dance music. Inside, guests dance to electronica, house, and techno music on a sunken dance floor beneath the glimmer of disco balls. Others recline on comfortable banquettes, cushioned by plush brown and blue cylinder pillows. The club strives to avoid the elitist attitude of other lounges, eschewing VIP rooms, velvet ropes, and restrooms guarded by hungry mountain lions.