"I do like the way the Spiderman movies show the classy, brave side of New Yorkers. For a group of people often portrayed to be mean and self-centered and aloof, Sam Raimi's New Yorkers have great big hearts and senses of honor."
They brought that out in both movies, which I really liked--I took it as a commentary on 9-11. I also noticed there's a subtle but strong association made between Spider-Man, the American flag, and policemen and firefighters. Spider-Man is portrayed as the epitome of the heroism of public servants who risk their lives for others--when there's a situation even the police or firemen can't handle, he's the one they look to to step in. To me that was one of the most powerful things about the movie.