I'm working near Water St a couple days a week and the Yanks have a 1:05 getaway game next Tuesday. I'd love to step out for an hour or two instead of listening on my phone. Are there any bars in the FiDi/Stone St area that actually turn the broadcast audio on for a random weekday afternoon game? The few places I've passed have all TVs on news or just silent Yankees on YES with captions. Is expecting sound at 1pm on a Tuesday just unrealistic? Not trying to get loaded, just want a burger and a couple innings with sound. Bar seat or table, either fine.

Not unrealistic but you're asking a bunch of lunch-rush staff to cater to one guy. Weekday matinees are tough because the room is maybe half full of people on laptops. Your best bet is an old-school Irish pub or dive where there's one bartender and the remote is behind the bar. In that zone, try the places on Stone Street but skip the new gastropubs. Ask before you sit: 'Are you putting the game on with sound?' If they say no, don't camp. A lot will turn it on if you actually order food and not just a water.

I'd disagree a little. Stone St at lunch is tourists and finance bros; half those spots won't change a TV for you. The real move is to get a couple blocks east to Pearl St or Water St, older bars with regulars. Some of them will have the game audio on by default because the bartender wants to listen. Also don't expect YES audio if they've got CNBC earlier; the remote might be locked. A matinee is more a 'radio in one earbud under the bar' situation unless you find a place with an actual baseball crowd.

From Brooklyn but used to work down there. I've had luck at a certain ale house on Front St (not naming it and jinxing it lol). They keep sound on low for day games if there's at least three people at the rail. If you're solo, sit right at the bar and order a coffee or a club soda, not water. The 'just water' thing makes a bartender think you're waiting for a train. And do not try to sync the radio app to YES, it'll be 15 seconds ahead and you'll hear a homer before the pitch arrives.

Thanks, good point about the water. I did walk into one place last week and they looked at me sideways when I asked for a table, said bar only then left CNBC on. No audio. I wasn't sure if I should tip extra just for changing the channel? Is that a thing? Also, do any of these spots have outdoor seating where you can still hear the audio or is it just inside speakers? I'm not trying to be that guy at a table alone glaring at a silent screen.

Bar only is normal for solo day drinkers, no big deal. Don't hand a tip just to change the channel, that's weird. But if they put it on and leave it, tip like normal. Outdoors with audio is a no-go in the city unless the place has a speaker over the door. FiDi patios are basically wind tunnels anyway. If a place gives you attitude, just move on. Matinee crowds are tiny; nobody's chasing your $20. Try a spot with a jukebox and no food menu—those old-man bars are your friend.

Inwood's not wrong about old-man bars. The more worn the stools, the more likely the audio is already on. In lower Manhattan, skip anything with a host stand and QR menus. A bar with a printed lunch special and a bartender named Pat or Richie will usually put YES on before you ask. If you're in FiDi near Water St, walk north to the edge of Chinatown / Civic Center. There's a old spot on Baxter with TVs and soup. They won't care how long you sit as long as you order a sandwich.

I found if you mention the score, they're more likely to change it. Like 'Hey, Yanks are down 2-0 in the fourth, any chance we can get the sound on?' Instead of just 'can you put the game on.' Makes you seem like you're following, not asking them to program a sports package. Also, a fork and knife burger at a place on the south end of Broadway can take 45 min, so don't show up in the middle of the fifth and expect them to bend over backwards. Day game is dead until 4, then the pre-happy-hour group comes in.

Okay update: I went to an ale house on Front St around 1:30. Sound was on but very low, enough to hear the broadcast. Two other dudes at the bar and we all sort of nodded when Soto hit that double. Didn't realize how much I missed the crowd noise even with ten people. I didn't ask them to change it, it was already on YES. So it's possible. Next time I'll try the Baxter St spot. Question—do any of these places have a stricter time limit on bar seats during lunch because they want turnover?

Generally no time limit at a bar seat if you're still ordering. A coffee then a burger then maybe a coke. If the place fills up, don't be a tree stump. But afternoon game at 2? They'll let you sit in the same spot all afternoon if there are empty bar stools. It's not like brunch. Also, don't be the guy who leaves in the 8th and then asks for the check to be split for a single order. Pay as you go.

That's good to hear. Real talk, the biggest issue is the TV package. A few bars use a streaming box that's delayed from cable, so if you're checking the score on your phone, you'll spoil everything. Ask if it's cable or stream. If it's streaming, put your phone face down. Also, if the game goes extra innings, you might be out of luck because the happy-hour crowd wants the pregame shows. That's when the same bartender who was nice at 2 suddenly 'can't find the remote.' Enjoy the matinee while it lasts.

On the bar question: home day game on YES is your best bet, because away games sometimes get the app-only broadcast and bars won't bother. Also if you're heading back toward the bridge or up First after the game, double-check 1st Ave southbound below 14th: is the construction detour worth it at rush hour? before you leave, because that detour will eat the time you saved leaving early. The real move is check the schedule and pick a home day game. If you're not drinking, order a half-sandwich and a soda and tip like a human.

That's a wrap for me. Ended up watching the 7th on my phone outside because I left before the rain hit. But now I've got a short list for the next day game. The one thing I learned: sound at 1pm is not a guarantee, but it's also not impossible if you find the right old bar and don't sit there with a free water. Thanks for the recs everyone. I'll report back from the Baxter St spot next homestand.