It probably helps that they (AT&T) loves our college and donates $25 million to it, our stadium is named after them and they're the dominate cell service for hundreds of miles around us.
NYC - Okay voice, crap 3G. Speeds hover around 100kbps, and that's if you don't get bumped down to EDGE. Any neighborhood with a generally younger demographic is a total crapshoot.
What is reception like in San Diego? The AT&T map shows excellent 3g coverage, but I have heard both positive and negative things about coverage in San Diego.