ok. thanks all.

pretty much what all of you are saying [don't be an idiot, watch, listen, take lanes etc] is the stuff I do all the time here at home and really, I was actualy looking forward to riding in nyc traffic because I've found that whenever you have a city with terrible car traffic [seattle, for example], cycling through it can be REALLY fun and is way easier than most people would think.

so, that said, I'll be sure to purchase a large lock+chain before I go, dust off my helmet, take a vow not to ride around like a badass on unfamiliar streets, and tell my pedestrian friends to chill the hell out.