For NYC streets you need good tires. I recommend slicks like the Greenspeed Scorchers. They have very low rolling resistance so you can go fast or maintain a normal speed with less effort. They are also very cushy and absorb shocks and vibrations very well. They even make cobble stone streets bearable! There are also kevlar belted versions that should help with the little bits of glass that inevitably get embedded in your tires and eventually rub tiny slow leak holes into your inner tubes.
I used to have Kenda Kwest semi slicks on my Bike Friday. The Scorchers are notably faster and a lot more comfortable. You just have to be careful riding over manhole covers in the rain. On pavement they feel very grippy even in the rain, you just have to look out for slick metal surfaces.