OK, at the risk of sounding really old by saying this: What's with the noise level at New York dives? Sometimes the cheapest bars are just too damned loud. So when we tire of staring at our friends or our dates over a $2 beer and maybe attempting to communicate with our eyes, what's left to do? If you want to actually talk to your companions, try the Sly Fox, a mostly empty watering hole operating under the auspices of the ultra-cool Ukrainian National Home. Aside from the few drunk old Eastern European men (most likely buying you pitchers) and the bartender's scattershot iPod playlist, there are relatively few decibels to contend with. Bonus: the awesome booths that look like something out of your babcia's dining room.