Welcome to NYC and welcome to the NYC TER board community...

Incall locations: Midtown or Midtown East is a good easy access location.  

Places to live: Take your pick, so many different choices. However, one real estate agent said to me once that the East Side / Upper East Side 50's thru the 80's - York Avenue to 3rd Avenue is the cradle of rental apartment dwellers in Manhattan.  

Places to go/see/eat?: Flatiron District, Union Square Area, East Village, Meatpacking District, Central Park, Chelsea, Upper East Side. Upper West Side (50's thru 80's) all great places with loads of shopping, dinning and generally great walking.  

Things / Places to DEFINITELY avoid? : Well that's kinda hard to answer without sounding like a snob. I'd say the areas I mentioned above are very safe and enjoyable neighborhoods. There's also very nice places in Brooklyn to enjoy as well. I guess everyone will probably agree - avoid situations where you have to go on very long subway rides. Like if you think about going out to the very far eastern side of Brooklyn, expect that's going to take you a good hour or more on the subway to get there.  

Again welcome to our fair city!

nycad

1) nycad hit the nail on the head. I love being around Herald Square.. It's very convenient for shopping (for you) and to public transportation - most subway lines, path, penn station, port authority..

2) that depends on what you like. They have everything here!  

3) just don't get to close to the tracks waiting for the subway and you should be just fine!!