No lie: He likes the Valley and the Clippers

Though Tom Papa has spent his fair share of time in Los Angeles, most of it was onstage at the L.A. Improv. But last year he moved here from New York while developing his sitcom, “Come to Papa,” about a struggling comedy writer from New Jersey -- Papa’s home state. It premieres tonight on NBC.

“I know it’s not cool to like the Valley,” Papa says but adds that Studio City is perfect for him, his wife, Cynthia, and their nearly 2-year-old daughter, Angelina.

A strip mall with taste

If I’m with my family, there’s an awesome place in Studio City called Tony’s Mexican Grill. It’s this little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant on Magnolia at Coldwater. It looks like one of those horrible strip malls, where you would only go to get a manicure or make photocopies. But in the corner is Tony’s, and it’s the best Mexican food that I’ve had anywhere in L.A. It’s a family-run place. They make their own chips and when they bring out that and salsa, you just know everything is going to be awesome.

Sinking ship

I like going to Clippers games at Staples Center. They’re sort of the bastard son of L.A. sports. All the celebrities go to the Lakers’ games. Sure, I have a TV show -- but unless it becomes a really big hit, I’ll still be going to the Clippers’ games. You can get good seats really cheap. They lose a lot, but it’s fun to root for the underdog.

Staples Center is a really cool place. There’s a cool atmosphere. I like a place that can be busy and bustling and have that energy, but it feels kind of calm and organized. In New York I used to go to Madison Square Garden, and both the crowd and the place felt out of control.

Baseball as comedy

In West L.A. there’s a park on Sepulveda called the Bad News Bears park where kids play baseball. They all take it really seriously and have these great uniforms, and they act like it’s more important than Little League baseball. But because they act that way, you watch and give it that kind of respect. I love watching kids play baseball, because they’re so bad. When you watch pros, you’re in awe, but when you watch a chubby 11-year-old who kicks the ball by mistake -- that combines all the drama of sport with good comedy.

A parent’s dream

Everybody hikes at Runyon Canyon, but there’s a cool hike around a reservoir at the top of Barham Boulevard. It’s not that strenuous, but when you’re pushing a stroller around, you don’t really care about it being a strenuous hike ... you’re just looking for a little pavement. You can walk around, then get some exercise and have your baby fall asleep, which, if you’re a parent, is heaven.

Walking in L.A.

In Studio City -- and this is a bit of a New York thing -- we’re so happy that we can actually walk places and not get in the car. We can walk from our house through this little path over the reservoir and end up on Ventura Boulevard. And that takes us to Cold Stone Creamery. That is really a nice, round-out-the-weekend Sunday afternoon thing to do. You’re not touching your car keys. You’re watching your daughter light up like a crazy lightning bug with ice cream in her hand. And she looks at you like you’ve parted the seas, that you’ve brought her this amazing substance called ice cream.