I'm about to start a job at one of the hospitals on 60th and York, and I'll be walking home around 6:15 a.m. up to 68th/1st. For people who actually do this: is 1st Ave better than York or 2nd at that hour? The other day I scouted it and there were two sidewalk bridges, some scaffolding with bags on it, and a line of refrigerated trailers idling near 63rd. Is that just a one-off or basically the whole block now? Also if there's a side street that feels less like a wind tunnel, I'll take the extra two minutes.

I live up at 70th/1st and commute to the hospital around 5:45 a.m. some days. Honestly 1st is just nonstop construction until about 65th right now, but the east side of the street has a clear path except by the old movie theater. Are you leaving from the hospital or from York? If you cut through the little plaza by the ramp it drops you on 66th and you skip the worst cone section.

I just moved near 68th/2nd and walked home from dinner on 62nd last week. It was weirdly quiet until a garbage truck started backing up and beeping for ten minutes. Is that a daily thing? I thought 2nd would be louder but it felt okay because there's no cement plant. What do you mean refrigerated trailers? Like parked for the hospital kitchen?

Wait, there are hospitals on York? I thought the big one was the medical center by the river but further downtown. Sorry, I'm new to the area. Is this the big Upper East Side cluster? I got lost trying to find the train at 68th and ended up on a block with a huge cooling tower roaring. I didn't know that was a thing at 6 a.m.

DykerNewbie, yeah I mean the big hospital cluster by the FDR around 60th-70th. The chiller noise is real—there's a block near 65th that sounds like an air conditioner the size of a subway car. That's the piece I'm trying to avoid, because the little side street has a fence and a loading bay that starts beeping early. metro_area_matt, that cut-through might be it. Do you mean the one behind the older building with the blue stripe?

I walked up 1st this morning at 6:20 just to see what you all meant, and I saw three refrigerated trailers on 63rd and a guy hosing down the sidewalk outside a food service door. It wasn't dangerous, just not the calm 'good morning NYC' vibe I expected. Does the steam come out of the grates and make the crosswalk slippery? I almost ate it on 64th.

Yes! The blue stripe one, between 65th and 66th. After the ramp, if you stay on the west side you avoid the truck bay. But the crosswalk at 66th and 1st is definitely slippery when they hose it—ask me how I know. I've started carrying a tiny flashlight because some of the scaffolding lights are out. Are you doing 7 days a week or just a rotation?

Okay I think I found the spot. I walked from 68th to 59th on 1st yesterday and the entire sidewalk by the parking garage entrance was closed. I had to cross back and forth three times. Is there a rule about how many times you can cross before you give up and just walk in the bike lane? Asking because a delivery scooter nearly clipped me.

Thanks all. Sounds like 1st is the death-by-a-thousand-cut route but at least it's lit. I'm going to do 1st to 65th, then cut through to 68th on the west side. DykerNewbie, if you do that crossing thing by the garage, wait until you see the parking attendant hand-wave you across; there's usually one out there around 6. If not, go up to the light and don't risk the bike lane.

Wait, is there a parking garage on 1st between 65th and 66th? I thought that was a school? I keep seeing double-parked SUVs with flashers and it made me think school dropoff started before 6, but maybe it's the garage. Also, does anyone know why the bodega on 66th has its roll gate half-open but lights off at that hour?

School dropoff definitely starts earlier than you'd expect, but before 7 the cars are mostly garage or livery. The bodega with the half gate? They don't open the full gate until the coffee cart guy leaves, but the cat is in there. You can get a foil-wrapped egg sandwich from the side window around 6:30 if the light is on.

Update: did the walk this morning. Cutting through by the blue stripe saved maybe 4 minutes and the wind wasn't as bad. The block between 63rd and 64th is still gross but passable if you stay off the metal plate. I think I'll keep this route unless it's raining, then I'll just suffer up 2nd. Appreciate the beta.