The Brooklyn Bridge at Sunrise

By mid-morning the Brooklyn Bridge walkway is one of the busiest footpaths in the world. At first light it belongs to almost no one — a few runners, a few photographers, and whoever else understood the assignment. The sun comes up behind Brooklyn, the cables turn gold, and the wooden promenade between the Gothic towers feels, briefly, like a private possession.

Start from the City Hall side so you walk toward the sunrise, and give yourself the full crossing — about half an hour at a savoring pace. There is nothing to book and nothing to pay; just check the sunrise time, set an alarm you will resent, and go. Coffee and pastries in DUMBO on the far side are the reward.