Working late near Penn on a Tuesday and the Mets have a 6:40 first pitch. I can't get to Citi and back before my 10:07 LIRR, so I need a spot within ten minutes of Penn/Moynihan where the game is on and I can actually hear Gary, Keith and Ron. Not looking for a club. Just a stool, a beer, maybe a bar that won't switch to a Knicks preseason game the second someone asks. I know the Astoria spots for this, but Midtown near Penn is a different universe. Anyone have a reliable place that puts SNY audio on for weeknight games?

Wait, bars let you hear the Mets broadcast? I tried watching a Yankees game at a place near my job last month and the TV was on but the sound was some playlist, so I just read captions. Do you have to ask, or is that annoying? Also is there anywhere inside Penn itself or do I have to leave the station? Following because I'm taking the LIRR on Thursday and might want same thing.

Beth, it's not automatic. Some spots only run audio for NFL/Knicks/Yankees, especially if there's a big crowd for something else. For Penn area, the move is go to a place that has multiple TVs but a bartender who controls the box. I've had luck at the Irish place on 8th just below 33rd — at least with a Tuesday crowd. By 6:30 it's still commuters, so if you ask before it fills up, they'll usually put the booth feed on one section. Andy, I'd skip the big sports bars right on 7th; those tend to have the sound off unless it's Monday Night Football. Tír na nÓg or Local might be worth checking, but I'd pick one and get there early.

Good point about the early ask. I've been burned at the 7th Ave chains where they keep the game on but blast a lunchtime Spotify list at 7pm. I'm not a hardo about it, but if I can't hear the broadcast I'd rather just watch on my phone with one earbud. Feels like a waste of a stool though. I'll try the 8th Ave Irish spot around 6:15 and see if the bartender bites. If they already have a Knicks preseason game on the good sound system, I'm cooked.

I tried calling a place from work today to ask if they do SNY sound and the guy said 'we have the game on, yeah,' but hung up before I could ask about audio. So I don't know if that's a yes or no. Do you just show up early, or is calling useless? Also, does 'section audio' mean I can hear it at the bar only or also at a table? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I just never did the solo bar-baseball thing.

Calling is a coin flip, honestly. You'll get a host who sees TVs on and says yes, but that doesn't mean sound. I'd show up early like Andy's doing. Sit at the actual bar, not a table, and ask the bartender directly. If you tip a little on the first beer and don't ask them to change the whole room, they'll usually put the local booth feed on a speaker near your end. Once the after-work crowd comes in around 7:30, all bets are off, but you only need a couple innings.

Update: I got to the 8th Ave spot at 6:10. Took a seat at the corner of the bar. Bartender already had the pregame on but no sound. I asked once, caught him before the rush, and he put Gary/Keith/Ron on the speaker right above my head. Only downside is I can hear the host blowing rejection calls at the front door too. Honestly better than captions. Might become my Tuesday thing if the train transfer stays this ugly.

OK that sounds perfect. I think I'm going to try Thursday but leave more time. Between the game chatter and the street cleaning noise by my office, I'm already overstimulated. There was a whole thing about morning noise on here: 6:45 AM sidewalk power-washing in Woodside—am I the block crank or is this a real 311 thing? — not sports but it's the same 'am I just cranky or is this actually loud' energy. Anyway, thanks for the bartender tip. I will sit at the bar and ask before I even take my coat off.

Beth, if you're on the LIRR Thursday, don't wander toward Hudson Yards. The walk eats the whole time and Moynihan's fine. Andy, that corner speaker setup is the dream. Ear-splitting Tuesday bartender music is why I usually just catch the first couple innings on my phone before the train. Let us know if the same guy works Thursdays.