NYPD wouldn't take it for locking it against a street sign.
My office is on Wall Street and I live around the corner...it's a very busy area and you'd never think it would happen. Reality is that these things do not only happen in poorly lit alleyways...they happen under your nose. Most people are too busy running to Starbucks to notice.
With a weak cable & lock that you used, if I were a thief I would think it's a set-up.
Sorry about the loss...just think how much worse it would have been if you decided to bring the Tri-bike in that day and use the same lock.
(speaking of Tri...I was lucky enough to get an early registration for NYC Tri 2009)