I feel for ya man...I used to ride during rush hour in NYC every day (and am moving back in a few months). The only advice (which may be terrible advice...so take it for what it's worth) I give people for riding in town is to NEVER signal, ride quicker than traffic (to lessen the danger behind ya), and ride a bit more aggressively than you would out of urban areas. Your space is yours and do everything within your power to keep it that way.
But also make sure you can park your bike at the end of the day with the same amount of scratches & dents as were there in the morning before you left.
