Originally posted by James also So tips such as set the speed and F stop let the camera decide ISO are the pointers I was hoping to eke out
That's what i do most of the time (tav) but add that I also set my EV comp, generally to -1 stop. In darker areas, part of the attraction is the lower lighting: no point in wasting ISO only to darken in post. For dynamic areas of light and dark, it helps to avoid blowing highlights. Those scenarios are very common in cities (and in forests).
And, of course, back button focus/continuous to speed up shot taking.