Railings removed

Doubt it, it's quite different to London, while the layout is clearer, the traffic pattern is different, expect a lots of unnecessary honking from motorised vehicles, actually it's more of a free for all.

Don't doubt it, I am from NYC and although it's still an intense place to ride, the streets are considerably wider so cyclists have a lot more wiggle room to get out of trouble. Also as aggressive as New Yorkers may seem, there is a very different relationship between motorists and cyclists there as opposed to here. In NYC there is a lot more respect in general from both sides. In NYC I rarely feel the total distain for cyclists that I feel from many motorists here in London. People in NYC actually wait for you or wave you through tight situations in many cases. In London I feel like everyone is in a desperate race for the finish line and no one is going to get in their way.

So yes in my long experience of NYC and 5 years of London and the UK. NYC is a hell of a lot easier to ride in than London.