photo 1 would have been helped with HDR
Seriously though, NYC looks like a fun place to shoot. Nice shots.
I am not so sure about HDRing that first shot - you'd have to crop all those people out and then it would make the distortion look kind of weird.
One of the most challenging aspects of shooting in New York is dealing with people. They're everywhere. They're in your shot. They are bumping into your arm when you are composing a shot. I saw a great exhibit of photography of almost cinematic shots of NYC a year ago. The photographer: 1) used a tripod, which meant 2) he was shooting at 6am-7am. Shooting architectural shots during the day in confined spaces means the light you're getting around big buildings gives you too much contrast. Check out the skies, then imagine how your sensor will interpret that haze.
At the same time, I don't think there's a place in the USA where you can get the type of street photography opportunities you get in New York. MSUSpartan's M9 shots really capture some of the classic "city" moments that I would have to search for in LA, but in NY are ubiquitous.
I guess if I have learned anything shooting in various places and cities is that you can't really get the best of each style of photography everywhere, so you have to tailor yourself to your environment - that's what makes the forums here rewarding to both view and to participate.