There is something about waking up before the rest of the city that makes it seem much less like a city.
While walking down the streets of Culver City before 6am, one hears birds. Doing so anytime between 8am and probably midnight, one hears cars.
The grass is wet, the people wish each other a good morning as they pass, the cars move slowly.
There isn’t much of a rush.
I felt this same calm, slow, and soothing pace while running in the mornings in Oakland.
I think sometimes in cities it’s so hard for us to avoid the feeling of being rushed, of being busy. I’ve found that one of the easiest ways is just to wake up early.