I'm assuming that sunbeams are present also during the day and are not just crepuscular.
I'm saying that they are always present in our (somewhat "dusty" or "hazy") atmosphere - and I'm not necessarily talking about NYC.
If so there would be some width to these rays, and at the borders of these
rays, a difference in energy could be detected, outside the shine of the beam, just like there is a pattern that can be detected in a cloud's shadow on the ground.
I propose to check this out with sensitive optical equipment, beginning with a cloudy day with visible sunbeams aimed at the earth, or during an evening, expecting the sunbeams aimed at us to be undetectable since we are looking towards the sun, but perhaps seen from a satellite we could get a perspective of their actual width and location.
Waiting to be shot down with laser beams for this stupid and misinformed idea.