The Move to New York / LA / Chicago

[Goodspaceguy]

I'm from the Seattle area and right now a bunch of my comedy friends are making the move to New York and putting pressure on me to join them as well (we're comics in our early 20s fresh out of college). I'm hoping to do so within the year but I'm still a bit fuzzy about the logistics of moving across the country without a job already waiting there. I was wondering how any of you New York guys managed it, assuming you didn't already go to NYU, grow up in the area or get some kind of job transfer. How much did you have saved up? How much would you suggest saving up? How quickly could you find work (dayjob work)? Was there any big financial catastrophe you didn't expect from the move?

I've been asking my friends these things as well but I thought I'd get some wider input. I don't want to find myself waddling back with my tail between my legs because I made some dumb financial miscalculation. The general advice can also apply to moving to LA or Chicago.

[scamboogah]

Here's my two cents.

Don't do it. You (and your friends) aren't by the longest shot near ready. Seattle has a good comedy scene where you can grow, New York will expect you to be a seasoned pro right out of the gate, and if you're not, it will crush you.

The only way I would say to go ahead and do it is if you have A LOT of money (like over $50,000 in savings). That way, you can fail for a few years while working some shitty customer service job that allows you to be out every night until 3am doing open mics. Otherwise, you're going to be pulled (more like yanked) towards a 'real' job once you figure out how much it costs to live in New York. Then you'll be able to pay rent, but will maybe only be able to get out to open mics every 3 or 4 days at the most, and within a couple of years, probably give it up and either move back broke or stay in the city that crushed your dream, getting more bitter about it as time wears on.

Keep in mind that finding a 'day job' is a whole shitload more difficult in NY because it's a city FILLED with aspiring actors/artists/comedians etc.

Sorry to be so dramatic and blunt, but given what you described, I think it could not be a more premature move. Get good in Seattle (or another second tier city), hell, become one of the best there, someone who can get paid gigs a couple days a week at least, then when you move to New York or L.A., you'll be on equal footing with the best comic from every other city that just moved there instead of a beginner who will be easily ignored and tossed aside.

New York can be a great place to live, but if you don't go into it fully armed, it will kick you square in the ass and dump you back in your home town without missing a beat.

[pg13]

Scammy's right.

And LA is even worse...in that, there's precious little paid comedy work there.

There's so much more you can do in Seattle and few places in the world where you'll find more available stage time.

[funkyrhino]

I agree with what Scam said though I think 50,000 is a stretch since many of us don't or can't save that kind of extra cash. My friend moved with $13,000 in savings (with a roommate), which gave him about 12 months of time to look for jobs and commit to his art.
Build your name in your local scene. You're in a cool (I don't know I've never been to Seattle so it's an assumption) city that has a decent comedy scene (again I'm assuming) so it may be better to stick around awhile and build your name/act there before contemplating a move to a city that could swallow you, leave you with false hopes, and dry your pockets quickly.

[Cameron]

My friend moved with $13,000 in savings (with a roommate), which gave him about 12 months of time to look for jobs and commit to his art.

$13,000 for a year? In NYC? I don't think so. Unless you are living way outside the city that would basically only cover rent.

[PoisonSpanking]

What are some other good second-tier cities? Is Philly one?

[Sean P. OConnor]

Here's my two cents!

I moved to NY at 21, I moved there with enough money to get a lease. I did odd jobs for a couple of months such as dog walking, handing out flyers. I think it's a great place to grow. It's not a place where they expect you to be a seasoned pro unless you are exclusively looking to work in 2 of the 6 clubs in the city. NY isn't like it used to be, it's now a place to grow because you will not get anything while living there. At least 60% of the time you will be performing on open mics and there are a ton of them, you can do 5 a night. 30 % of the time, you will be doing booked shows that are essentially open mics, it's not outrageous to think you can do 3 of these a week. (Just make friends with people) The other 10% of spots are very rewarding because it's where all of the shit that you ate in that other 90% finally feels vindicated.

I moved to Los Angeles in the past year, it is not a place to grow. It's a place to get spots and work in other aspects of comedy. I enjoy LA. But for starting out, nothing beats NY. You will get good there and it will prepare you for the next step.

As for money, again, look for odd jobs. You will have to work a day job and it's expensive. But luckily there are terrible parts of Brooklyn that are very affordable. If it is your dream to succeed in comedy and you aren't already a millionaire. I suggest you suck it up, move to Brooklyn and befriend every comic you possibly can to continue your stand-up journey.

[nixonjames]

How long have you been doing comedy?

Regardless unless you have a killer feature set, references from well respected home clubs, and a killer presence on stage and the web... I wouldn't bother. No one from Boston suggests moving before year 6. NYC may be a better place to grow than LA but there's still industry and there are a ton of people you can't hide from. If you stay in a place like Seattle then it gives you the room and time to grow and develop your approach to a fine edge so that you're ready to attack the 'big market' scenes rather than being just another cog in the wheel.

That being said, I moved to NYC with 0 dollars and had it figured out in a month. I did share a room on a boathouse in the bronx and worked obscene hours, but I made it work. This was before I'd started doing comedy though so I'm not sure I'd suggest it for that.

[JayP7]

I moved to Chicago in September. I was very lucky in that I was moving in with friends who already had a place with suuuper cheap rent. I came out here with somewhere in the range of $1200 with some further help from my dad as I went along. I got pretty lucky and got an okay job in like 3 or 4 weeks. Not amazing, but I can support myself and it even has benefits. It's been fine, however I am running into that problem that work is getting in the way of hitting a lot of mics. But it's something to work through and I think there's something to be said for just getting yourself to a place and figuring it out. Also for me coming from Western Mass even the struggle gets me more stage time and opportunity than the 'one mic a week' I had there.

But, if you feel like you can still grow in Seattle there's probably no need to rush.

[CarolineEAnd]

I've sort of stayed away from this thread because my move to LA was under some pretty great circumstances in terms of promise of a job and connections within the industry.

However, if anyone does have any questions about the non-getting-a-job-in-the-industry aspects of moving to Los Angeles (neighborhoods to look into, places to go, etc) I will totally help out. I spent my first month in LA sharing a 1 bedroom with 3 other people: A 50 year old woman in the bedroom and myself, an Iranian woman who spoke no English, and a 40 year old truck driver all sharing a living room. It was hell. If I can save any of you from that, I will gladly do so.

[ErikNielsen]

What are some other good second-tier cities? Is Philly one?

It's not generally considered one, no -- it doesn't have a really established history of comedy, due largely to being so close to NY. If you live there, try to make it work, but I wouldn't move there to do comedy or anything.

As far as your canonical second-tier cities go, there's Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Austin, SF and Seattle. Some of those might be a bit borderline. And yes, there are comedians who come from other towns, so it's not like you have to be in one of those cities to start doing comedy.

[PoisonSpanking]

I'm not at a skill level where it's appropriate to move to a new city yet, but I've been vaguely planning and saving for when I eventually outgrow the handful of open mics in Central PA. When that happens, which of those cities are the less borderline ones to develop in? I'm kind of an idiot at this.

[pg13]

As far as your canonical second-tier cities go, there's Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Austin, SF and Seattle. Some of those might be a bit borderline.

Good list, Erik. I think it may be time to add Portland to that list...(and possibly Denver.)

pg

PS--These are towns where, if you're in a town with fewer comedy options than you currently have, you can move to and find more opportunities to get the chance to get better. On the other hand, if you're already good enough to get paid, regularly, to do comedy and you want to be a touring/working/road comic...then you might want to relocate to a town more centrally located to where you'll find the most work--my suggestions are Indianapolis or Louisville.

BUT...if you've got a core group of funny people where you are, wherever you are...you can and probably should try to do as much as you can where you are. Thanks to the internet, you're not required to move somewhere just to do fun things...and the fact that you're from somewhere else actually gives you a novelty factor that just being another person from the same place trying to do the same things won't get to benefit from...

(If you're all alone in your comedy pursuits, and too far away to drive, reasonably, to be part of an incubator scene...then, yeah, you'll probably want to move.)

[funkyrhino]

$13,000 for a year? In NYC? I don't think so. Unless you are living way outside the city that would basically only cover rent.

yeah Queens, plus he had a roommate so it's not that far fetched especially since his roommate covered utilities.

[Sean P. OConnor]

Wherever you move, you will need a job. You work until you don't have to anymore. You can have a job and succeed in comedy.

I think if you're looking for a great second tier city, I would recommend these in order.

1) Austin
2) Chicago
3) Boston
4) Portland
5) Atlanta

Throughout this year of doing the road, I think the comics in those city are very supportive of one another and pretty great at comedy. Atlanta has a very welcoming scene and a bunch of shows, not to mention, three full-time clubs.

However, this is coming from experience, New York is the best place to get good. I think there is a misconception that you have to get good and then move there. There is nothing safe about moving to New York, even if you have 30 minutes of killer material that destroys around the country, it doesn't mean it's going to work in New York. So, I would say since you are young, move to New York. If you are serious about comedy, move to the city where you can attack the stage the hardest. Also, since you are young, you are free to make buttloads of mistakes. That's what your 20's are for. Then after you've achieved every thing you can in New York, move to Los Angeles and become a millionaire.

[SeanX3]

Personally, as a newbie, I've found the NY scene very welcoming and supportive.

[ErikNielsen]

Good list, Erik. I think it may be time to add Portland to that list...(and possibly Denver.)

I know a fair number of comics from Denver, so that seems reasonable... I almost mentioned that one. Can't think of any comics from Portland offhand (except Braunger, who spent a few years in Chicago, but then again that was some years back), and don't they only have one club? Granted, I've never been to Portland, so I might just be ignorant.

But yeah, the right answer is always "wherever you're getting enough quality stage time." If you're in a city with one club and a few one-nighters, but that one club is willing to push you heavily, you're getting on the one-nighters, and moving into host or feature work in and around the city... that's enough to hold you for a pretty long time.

(Side note to Sean O'Connor: I don't know that I'd recommend doing that many open mics to a brand new comic. I mean, clearly it worked for you, but you know how open mics are. If you have any tendency toward bad habits, unlimited access to open mics is almost invariably going to bring that out of you... which might just be based on my experience with LA open mics. Maybe the culture in New York is different. But in LA, so many people go into an open mic without any clear determination to treat it like a show, I just have to think it's no place to start. A lot of comics really need a place where they're going to be held accountable and taught the fundamentals, and open mics are inherently not good at either of those things.)

[MattLewis]

I can speak for LA. I will recommend coming with a good amount of savings, some well established friendships or family relationships. LA has a hundreds of menial jobs (bartending, waiting tables, background actor, production assistant, dog walking, sales) that will keep you working while you seek your stagetime. It's important to have a good skill set outside of comedy to get a job.

There are shitload of open mics and shows in LA, and as long as you approach it with the right attitude you'll learn from it.

I live in LA and hate it (parking tickets, filth, overcrowded, cost, violence) but i feel I need to be here to get better. I do dig the weather, but usually to consumed to enjoy it.

[pg13]

Can't think of any comics from Portland offhand (except Braunger, who spent a few years in Chicago, but then again that was some years back), and don't they only have one club? Granted, I've never been to Portland, so I might just be ignorant.

Portland has two clubs--the heritage club, Harvey's, was joined not too long ago by Helium. The attention brought to Portland by Bridgetown (and by IFC's Portlandia, which uses a fair number of Portland comics) has really created an explosion of interest in comedy--and the city now has an excellent infrastructure for comedy and a lot of fresh new talent taking advantage of the opportunities found there.

I have the sense that Portland's Ron Funches is on a similar path that Rory Scovel was on and is on the cusp of being a truly national, rather than regional, talent. And, depending on how he chooses to pursue things, the meteoric rise of Ian Karmel over the past couple of years could easily break much bigger soon.

But, perhaps, the strength of the Portland scene is best described by the number of very talented Portland performers who have taken their talents elsewhere... I know that Andy Wood is in LA...so is Richard Bain. Auggie Smith and Dax Jordan just moved there. Virginia Jones is headed there, too, I believe. And there's STILL a strong group of veteran comedians and inspired new faces there.

It's definitely an area where there's a decent amount of paid work, a good amount of possibly stage time and people doing different things than just club comedy (and, it's just a couple hours away from Seattle...not too far away from SF.) If I was an aspiring comic frustrated with a town that didn't offer them enough opportunities to improve...I'd definitely consider Portland.

[ErikNielsen]

Fair enough... I've heard of maybe two of those guys (and one of them is Rory Scovel, so does that even count?), but if you say good stuff is happening there, well, you probably know more than I do. I mean, maybe I just underestimate Portland because I associate it with the Bridgetown Los Angeles Open-Micer Party, which presumably isn't fair to all the actual working comics who are actually in the city.