^ yes. Look, as a native NYCer I tellya its like this IMO/IME:
NYC is filled with the best and worst of people. Just like any other large metropolis in the world. Period.
It is a fact that NYC is far safer nowadays in terms of violent crime than it was in the 70's, really in my observation since the City Hall Disneyfication of the town [which included massive police manpower increases]. Many native NYCers like myself actually kinda lament the loss of some seedy bit of character in NYC. That's just nostalgia talking...
The area/Starbucks that PD lost his Sony is populated by everyone from Wall Street masters of the universe types to city workers to tourists to vagrants. Indeed, very much like Grand Central Station
People in NYC, like in pretty much every other big city I have visited, generally tend to mind their own business. Its neither good nor bad - just people focused on what they are doing. Which really means that a moment of unfortunate forgetfulness often goes completely unnoticed, leading to the perfect scenario for petty opportunism by those so inclined.
But indeed, things like the 2003 NorthEast Blackout can lead to a sense of community. I was there
Really though, it only lasted like a day as I recall but even in that short period of time, I saw shameless opportunism by a deli owner [16OZ bottles of Poland Spring water being sold for 5USD] on the very same block as an ice cream parlor giving away their stock [since everything was melting already] and a pizza parlor who still was able to make pizzas but were doing it at half price slices/pies until their ingredients ran out. [All the above on 8th Avenue, midtown West where I lived]
Enjoy your trip SolRaven...NYC kicks ass as you know and you will have a blast revisiting! PM me if you want some recent restaurant suggestions from the last 5 years...
