Kitty Genovese killing from 60 years ago, but my experience had been that NYers stand together, that they come to the aid of you if you are in distress, or being attacked, for example.
NYers are a tough breed, but they also look out for each other.
This was years ago, but one time my mom was walking to the Hudson Guild Theater for a play and some arsehole grabbed her purse (which of course had little in it because duh). She yelled out stop thief stop, and she said three men came to her aid, tackled him and roughed him up a bit, and dragged him to the 10th precinct. At the precinct, the guy tried to beg her - a single mother working two jobs - to give him lenience. She told him in no uncertain terms to go eff himself, told him her story and got a standing O.
I had seen something like that a total of three times, people jumping in to help a NYer needing help without even thinking.
It's great to know you feel kinship with your community. NYC is the BEST :)
