NYC is definitely not for everyone. The size & scope, plus the immense amount of people, can be overwhelming. Even those who have lived here their entire life cannot wait to get out. For me though, I can't imagine living anywhere else.
I think one of the things that bothered me most when walking through the streets was all the bizarre people selling [parasitic bomb]. Like the first day there I saw a guy selling Obama Condoms. As I passed by I heard him saying something like "You don't taste the hope, you feel it". Maybe it's just my own overly self-conscious personality, but I just keep wondering what goes through these people's heads.
I must say, it's admittedly not as depressing as walking through Toronto though. There was a lot less beggars.