Yes harsh is a good word for it. Funy thing is once you get used to it, you will be harsh before you know it!

Life is harsh!

Harsh!! Stop your complaining.

yes, i find nyers a little harsh- i think its cause everyone here is always in a rush to get somewhere. some of us are nice though :)

It's always hard to move to a new city, and NYer's are notorious for being nasty and impatient, but there are definitely a lot of nice and down to earth new yorkers.  It's all about networking and meeting friends of friends.