It's no laughing matter: The Atlanta Improv stand-up comedy club in East Andrews will be closing its doors Dec. 31. And according to the AJC, it's not just the club that's getting the boot as the entire East Andrews Entertainment District is shutting down. The owner of the development, Edens, has bought out the leases of the 22,639-square-foot shopping center. The closure will also affect popular drinking venues such as Prohibition, Czar Ice Bar and Cellar 56. But with just one month to go, Edens hasn't offered any details about what's going to replace the longstanding party district.

The announcement doesn't come as a huge surprise in an area that has been changing rapidly since the opening of Buckhead Atlanta last year. Once the center of nightlife in Atlanta, the East Andrews area of Buckhead Village has been losing its seedy reputation as development bears down on the neighborhood. Edens stands to make a hefty profit should they decide to sell the land. Sky-high real estate prices were affirmed last month when the 99 West Paces property — a 3-acre chunk of land adjacent to East Andrews, sold for nearly $30 million. Plans on that site, now owned by JLB Partners, could include high-rise housing, offices or even a hotel.

· Atlanta Improv shutting down December 31 with rest of Andrews Entertainment District [AJC]