thoughts on the people of NYC

Okay, so let me just start by saying that this is not an exhaustive list/post by any means.
I've been here for almost 3 months and my time here- for this part- is near an end.
But I have to say, being a tourist in New York and living here are really completely different things.

As a tourist, you mix with other tourists and rarely participate in the average New Yorker way of life, that said.
I have to say even coming from London, and having lived in California, I have found New York to be a particularly tough city.. perhaps because I'm getting used to so much here, but also the experiences I've had in a relatively short amount of time.
I am loathe to base my whole opinion of a whole city on just a few people, so am still being open.
But to give you an example...
When I arrived and taken aback with people- strangers- yelling,  (I'm sure thought they were simply 'talking with passion') on the street at each other, describing exactly why, with profanity, that they were angry with each other, I was constantly being issued a cliche line by my boyfriend and his friends 'welcome to New York' as they laughed it off.
I was adamant that not all New Yorkers, surely would be that way.
Then the guy who set up my cable/telephone and Internet, who is a born and bred New Yorker, told me himself, after we got talking.. that if I went to other parts of the US people will be much more polite, much kinder and life is that much nicer (this is my experience of California, Nantucket, Miami and Boston).. he said  "there's a reason why Frank Sinatra sings, 'If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere', it's because this city is so damn rude and people are so tough"... he wanted to move to San Diego, but his wife's family was here.
Since then I've had a very jumped up 'super' the maintenance man who manages my building, that I'd rather avoid than deal with the manners of the lazy urchin that he is, the stroppy unkind nurse who was supposed to understand people who are ill, and incredulously, the woman who pushed my back to get past me in the laundry room because I moved a second too slow for her to get the machine. (reminded me of the episode in friends- with Rachel having to get mean with that woman who was stealing her basket). Add to this extremely arsey sales people, pharmacists, waiters, etc..living here can feel like you have to have your guard up all the time.
I have met one very kind New Yorker too, who I talked with for the first time three hours non-stop, she's a fellow journalist and was introduced by another mutual friend/journalist, so perhaps this is why she seemed the exception.
I'll add more 'people' stories as we go.. 
But I'd be interested to hear other people's stories..as a local, rather than a tourist..