Caroline Hirsch knows comedy like she’s known New York: intimately and for a very long time. In 1967, at 15 years old, the Brooklyn native snuck into George Carlin’s stand-up show at Greenwich Village’s Bitter End, learning quickly that the city’s comedians have a special edge. And she certainly has an eye for new talent, spotting rising comedic stars from Paul Reubens to Jerry Seinfeld, who performed at her club, Carolines on Broadway, in the early 1980s. Despite the Midtown venue’s closing in 2022, she continues to spotlight comedians across all five boroughs with the New York Comedy Festival, which turns 20 this week. To celebrate the anniversary, Hirsch shares her key components to the good life. —Carolina de Armas
AIRLINE: XO.
AIRPORT: Teterboro.
ALIBI: “I was playing golf.”
APP: CNBC.
BAG: Celine.
BEDTIME: After the monologue.
BIKE: Pee-wee Herman’s red Schwinn.
BIRTHDAY: Cinco de Mayo.
BREAKFAST:The Breakfast Club.
CAR: 1970 Mercedes 3.5 convertible.
CHILD: A quiet one.
COCKTAIL: Don Julio on the rocks.
COCKTAIL APPETIZER: Pizza.
