July 7, 2025 - The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.com

Following the New York Liberty’s first WNBA Championship last season, all eyes have been on Barclays Center. The Liberty had reached the finals five times before but finally captured a title that had long proved elusive. The triumph brought a surge of excitement to New York, a city that hasn’t celebrated a basketball championship since 1973.

The championship also drew more fans, some of whom weren’t sure where to watch their new favorite team. That decision got easier when the Liberty launched a Bar Network ahead of the first road game of the season, offering fans a list of official watch destinations for when the team is away.

Here’s what you need to know about each bar to decide where to cheer on the Liberty when they hit the road.

Blue Haven South

121 Fulton St., New York

While not in Brooklyn, Blue Haven South is conveniently located just 0.4 miles from the World Trade Center. If you’re looking for a place to spend a casual night watching the Liberty play, this could be a good fit.

Blue Haven South is kid-friendly, and you can see a TV from anywhere you sit, whether it’s at the bar or one of the many tables and booths. Guests can have dinner, enjoy a Liberty margarita and even use a napkin printed with the team’s logo before heading out.

A close-up of a napkin printed with the New York Liberty logo, a small but spirited touch fans can enjoy while watching the game at official Bar Network locations like Blue Haven South.Photo by By Sienna Conaghan

Fulton Hall

250 Ashland Pl, Fort Greene

Fulton Hall is another kid-friendly spot, located just 0.3 miles from Barclays Center, creating a lively atmosphere for both home and away games. With plenty of seating options, you can bring a group of friends or grab a seat at the bar alongside the regulars.

Staff turn the sound on during games, transforming the space into a party-like environment with fans cheering. Fulton Hall doesn’t currently offer any Liberty specials, but something is in the works to elevate the experience.

Randolph Beer

82 Prospect St., Downtown Brooklyn

If you’re looking for a place where you can watch just a few minutes of the game or glance up at the score occasionally without having your full attention on it, Randolph Beer could be the answer. Described as a “sport-ish” bar, the sound is kept off and not every game is shown, but you can always check the calendar on the bar’s website to see what’s playing.

Randolph Beer is 18 and older after 6 p.m. on weekdays and after 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The game room opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and when you need a break, there are plenty of seating options, including a patio and rooftop. The bar closes at 8 p.m. on Sundays and is closed Mondays, so it’s not an option for every Liberty game.

Singers

30 Kosciuszko St., Bed-Stuy

Singers is a Liberty bar through and through. With the space decked out in Liberty décor and only their games playing on the TVs — even during Game 7 of the NBA Finals — this is the place to fully express your fandom and cheer loudly.

Singers is 21 and older after 9 p.m. but kid-friendly during the day. It’s a smaller venue but still has plenty of seating at the bar and tables. There’s also a back room with more space, where you can watch the game on a larger screen in a slightly quieter setting.

During Liberty games, the bar offers two special drinks: a “Deep Three Freeze” and a nonalcoholic beer. Guests can also enter a raffle for a chance to win tickets to the next home game, with proceeds benefiting the Brooklyn Youth Basketball Academy.

Rounders

999 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint

Rounders opened April 10 by a group of locals and has quickly become a regular spot for sports fans in the area. The bar carries packages for every major sport, and with the number of TVs, at least one will always be showing the Liberty game.

It fully captures the sports bar atmosphere, with screens in view wherever you sit. While it can get crowded, you can step out for fresh air without missing any action by heading to the back patio, where a large projector shows the game. If leaving your pet at home is an issue, Rounders allows dogs on the patio.

The Beer Garage

148 5th Ave., Park Slope

The Beer Garage is another kid-friendly spot and a good choice for afternoon games, as it closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Located just 0.3 miles from Barclays Center, it’s an easy stop before heading to the arena. Regulars often gather to cheer on the Liberty together, creating an atmosphere full of camaraderie and fandom.

The Beer Garage in Park Slope, just steps from Barclays Center, offers a kid-friendly atmosphere and a popular Liberty-themed drink, the “Statue Swish,” where regulars gather to cheer on the team during afternoon games.Photo courtesy of Beer Garage

The Beer Garage offers a special drink that Liberty fans can get at a discounted price during games. The “Statue Swish” combines infused blueberry hibiscus vodka, apple liqueur and blue curaçao. While it’s not seafoam green, the turquoise color comes close.

Uncle Barry’s

58 5th Ave, Park Slope

Uncle Barry’s is a 21-and-older bar just a two-minute walk from Barclays Center, making it a convenient spot for away games as well as before, after and even during home games. The atmosphere is energetic during broadcasts, and fans have been showing up to soak it in.

This is the place to go if you’re mainly interested in drinks, as the menu includes only two light snack options, but the bar keeps its prices low. Uncle Barry’s doesn’t offer Liberty-themed specials, but it makes up for it with a signed Jonquel Jones jersey on display and an Ellie the Elephant figurine.

Uncle Barry’s, a 21-and-older bar just minutes from Barclays Center, draws energetic Liberty fans eager to catch every game in a lively, no-frills setting complete with a signed Jonquel Jones jersey on display.

The Bush

333 Troutman St. Store 4, Bushwick

The Bush is a 21-and-older lesbian bar that’s a great option for fans looking to keep the party going after night games. It’s closed on Mondays but stays open until midnight on Sundays, 1 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 2 a.m. on Thursdays, and 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Not every game is shown, but when one is, it becomes a full watch party. The next event is set for July 8, when the Liberty face the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center at 8 p.m.

Ginger’s Bar

363 5th Ave., Park Slope

Ginger’s Bar is a 21-and-older, cash-only spot and the oldest lesbian bar in Brooklyn. It’s a great place to keep the party going well after the game ends, staying open every day until 4 a.m. You can also pregame here, with the bar opening at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 5 p.m. on other days.

Ginger’s doesn’t show every Liberty game, but the schedule of events is available on their Instagram page.

Athena Keke’s and Wilka’s

The Bar Network also includes two venues that haven’t opened yet but plan to support the Liberty once they do.

Athena Keke’s, set to open at 222 Greene Ave. in Clinton Hill, will be kid-friendly during the day. Despite not yet having a permanent location, Athena Keke’s hosts occasional watch parties at other bars, with the next one planned for New York’s Pride Night game on July 25. Organizers have planned a full agenda for a “queer takeover,” with the RSVP link available in the bar’s Instagram bio.

Wilka’s will open at 241 Bowery in Manhattan and will be kid-friendly before 8 p.m. The sports bar will launch with the motto “where women’s sports take the spotlight,” aiming to create a space where fans can meet and enjoy games together.

A two-alarm house fire in Bed-Stuy displaced 11 people and injured two, including a firefighter, on Saturday.

The blaze broke out on the second floor of a two-family home on the 500 block of Halsey Street at 9:30 a.m. on July 5, according to the FDNY. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the flames had spread to the third floor and to an adjacent building, and cluttered conditions inside — as well as high temperatures and humidity outside — hampered firefighting efforts.

firefighter on ladder outside building — A firefighter climbs an aerial ladder into the burning Halsey Street building.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

More than 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze, and were able to bring it under control by 10:30 a.m. One firefighter and one civilian were hospitalized with minor injuries, per the FDNY.

The city’s Department of Buildings issued full vacate orders for the building where the fire started and one next door, records show, due to severe and extensive fire, smoke, and water damage that broke windows and left a hole in one building’s roof. Another neighboring building was deemed non-code-compliant due to minor smoke and water damage, but was not vacated.

firefighter who was injured is supported by colleagues outside bed-stuy house fire — Firefighters and paramedics work to remove a firefighter who suffered minor injuries.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

residents outside scene of bed-stuy house fire — Residents observe the aftermath of the two-alarm fire. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Residents were not able to returned to their damaged homes, according to the American Red Cross, who responded to the scene, and four households – including nine adults and two children — were displaced and registered for temporary shelter and financial assistance. The org urged any locals who had been impacted and had not connected with the Red Cross to call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-733-2767) and select Option 1.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, and will be investigated by the FDNY’s fire marshal. Per city records, the building didn’t have any active violations from the DOB or the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.