http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

Not only in New York City, perhaps. I don't doubt it happens in other places. But stuff like that has long been known to happen in NYC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese

I have no idea what it is about that place, or why the people there have such a fear of "getting involved".

Both you and I seem to think there is something horribly wrong with it having happened, which leads me to believe both of us would have done something about it had we been in that situation. I know I would have. I also can't imagine you and I are all that special in this regard, so I am not giving up on mankind just yet. But yeah, it is pretty staggering that stuff like this can happen.