As I try to adjust to last weekend's time change I found myself awake and refreshed at five a.m. So rather than toss and turn fruitlessly for an hour, I arose and took the early train into Manhattan.

The six-ten Yonkers express has only one stop before Grand Central Terminal. As the train crossed the Harlem River into Manhattan the orange glow of the sunrise was visible on the cold steel bridges that connect Manhattan with the Bronx.

In the distance the Hell Gate railroad bridge with its cantilevered arch glistened in the early dawn's light. Very spectacular.

After alighting at Grand Central the walk across Forty Second street and down Fifth Avenue gives me a glimpse of Manhattan before the rush hour.

A few solitary runners, construction workers and early risers make up population. As I look up at the light reflecting off the spire of the Empire State Building, I realize this is a New York few get to see, and even fewer get to savor.

There is tranqulity here. Traffic is light, the sidewalks are empty, and most businesses are closed. As I make a deliberate decision to turn down West Thirty Seventh street walk passed the gray marble arch where the Editor's Pick button lives.

Down the street on the left is Frankie and Johnnie's steakhouse. The building is the former residence of John Drew Barrymore, the famous actor. Just before Sixth Avenue two brightly lit storefronts are open for business at 6:43 a.m. Both stores compete for the same clientele.

If for any reason you have a need for erotic nightwear, toys or videos, at quarter to seven on a Friday morning, they are ready to serve you.

I walk by and smile to myself, knowing that despite the tranquility and beauty that is Manhattan at sunrise, it still, after all, is Manhattan.