I grew up in the big town, and frequently visit relatives.
For someone who has (the dreaded) “Out of Towner” status, the worst aspect of NY’s and especially NYC’s gun laws is the refusal to EITHER issue nonresident permits OR extend reciprocity.
This means that there is no legal way to protect yourself unless you are a resident and have a permit.
Fixing the permit situation will not fix the residency issue. Even Maryland and New Jersey issue (rare) nonresident permits. Massachusetts nonresident permits are expensive but are not particularly hard to get.
PA has non-resident permits in state code but the county sheriffs flat out refuse to hand out at accept the application. I’ve tried.