Hometown, Downtown: Where Sports Fans Root for Their Teams
To be a fan of something, as the popular TikTok audio goes, is such a blessing. To care about something so much you’ll stick with it through the ups and downs means you believe in something bigger — even if that’s just getting together with other fans to commiserate.
The blessing has been mostly good for New York sports fans lately (two of the best teams in baseball and a WNBA championship!) but whatever sport you’re into, there is likely a fanbase out there ready to high five you in person. Lower Manhattan reflects the diversity of the city with a smattering of bars that serve as home turf to everything from New York’s teams to Gaelic athletics, so you can always find someone with whom you can endure the blessing of fandom.
New York Liberty (WNBA)
If you didn’t get on the Liberty bandwagon this year, you might feel some FOMO about one of the most fun and successful seasons in New York City history. When the season kicks up again in the spring (the exact date is still TBD), fix that by getting yourself to Blue Haven South (121 Fulton St.). The bar and pub has become a gathering spot for fans of the Libs, and the WNBA in general.
Liverpool (soccer)
It’s fun to be an American fan of soccer, innit? You get to watch your favorite clubs play daytime — and sometimes, early morning — sports here in the States, a good excuse to get to the bar early. For fans of Liverpool, Carraghers, the gastropub at 17 John St., is the place to be, and they offer a special game-day menu as well as a global selection of beers.
English Premier League (soccer)
Fans of all clubs in the English Premier League gather every Saturday at London & Martin Co. (6 Stone St.) to cheer on their team. The bar offers perks for super fans, too: if you come in a full kit (that’s uniform, in American) you can drink from the bar’s trophy. Plus, any player that scores a hat trick nets free shots for the bar, too. Pair all that boozing with a menu featuring a classic English breakfast and a royal champagne brunch.
New York Giants (NFL)
If you’re into the other kind of football, Blue Haven South is also the gathering spot for fans of Big Blue, a.k.a. the New York Giants. Don your best Giants jersey and you too could make the bar’s “football fits of the week” posts on Instagram.
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
If you’re a fan of Philadelphia’s NFL team in Lower Manhattan, why? Just kidding, Manhattan is a land of immigrants! You should make it a habit to get to Wogie’s local location at 44 Trinity Pl., where you can always find other fans of the birds, along with a menu chock full of Philly-inspired delicacies like cheesesteak hoagies, soft pretzels and gooey garbage bread.
Gaelic sports, and a little bit of everything
Beckett’s (48 Stone St.) has lots of room for watching games, and they make use of the space, promising sound-on games for a specific slate: the Yankees, Rangers, Giants and Knicks locally; then the the English Premiere league (including Manchester United), Leinster Rugby, the Gaelic Athletic Association and more. For the across-the-pond games, the bar opens early so fans can catch all the action.
