Final ;top
The best
places to ...
SEE LIVE STANDUP
COMEDY
Comedy Cellar
117 MacDougal St.; 212-
254-3480 • “I like the
comedy club in Green-
wich Village,” Rock says,
“because it always has a
nice crowd and features all
the best comedians. You
know, when Ray Romano’s
in town, or Robin Williams
or Jerry Seinfeld, everybody
goes there.”
CATCH A CONCERT
Madison Square Garden
Seventh Avenue and 32nd
St.; 212-307-7171 •
“I love Madison Square
Garden because there’s
just so much history there,”
Rock says of the legendary
arena. “I saw Jay-Z in con-
cert there. Prince. Michael
Jackson. And we even went
to a few games there, back
in the day.”
Why I Love ...
New York City
Sure, L.A.’s been calling for
years, but funnyman Chris Rock
stays true to his Brooklyn roots
Chris Rock may have been born in
South Carolina, but anyone who’s seen
a performance by the funniest person
in America (according to Time and
Entertainment Weekly) knows that the
Brooklyn-bred comedian’s edgy, outspoken brand of humor comes from a
New York state of mind.
After launching his comedy career
at New York’s Catch a Rising Star, Rock
was discovered by Eddie
Murphy and by age 25
was earning accolades on
Saturday Night Live. But
it was his Emmy-winning
1996 HBO special Bring
the Pain that established
him as one of the sharpest
minds in comedy, and by
the late ’90s he was stealing scenes in Hollywood
hits like Doctor Doolittle
and Lethal Weapon 4. Still,
Rock remained true to his
Big Apple roots, refusing
to make the move out
West to the entertainment capital of the world.
“New York is just a
funny place,” he insists,
“whereas L. A. is not
funny. Everybody wants
to be in showbiz
in L.A., even sur-
geons, so everything
revolves around
showbiz. But in New
These days, Rock and his family
(wife Malaak and daughters Lola
and Zahra) call the a;uent neighbor-
hood of Alpine, N.J., home. And the
comedian finds himself increasingly
reluctant to leave it, unless it’s to focus
on personal projects such as 2009’s
hit documentary Good Hair (which he
wrote, directed, produced and starred
in) or his newest films, Death at a
Funeral, which opened in April, and
Grown Ups, which debuts June 25.
“I have kids now,” Rock reasons, “so
I don’t want to leave the house unless I
really love what I’m doing. Even if I love
the job, I might still feel guilty. I love promoting my movies, but I’d rather be taking my kids to school. I don’t want my
daughter to see my movies someday and
say, ‘You weren’t at my recital for that
piece of crap?’ ”— BRET LOVE
GRAB A BITE
The Co;ee Shop
29 Union Square W.; 212-
243-7969 • Rock frequents
this laid-back diner, which is
known as much for its people
watching as for its menu,
because “they always hire
models as waitresses. Not
sleazy hot chicks, but real
models! The food’s just good
enough, so it’s a cool spot.”
