I was born and lived in NYC for a number of years. Excellent choice for the background of the story. Living in NYC requires a person to have a certain level of tolerance for others and resilience to get through the day because you are constantly interacting with people on the streets, using public transportation and the business of living from day to day.
It was thrilling and had many moments of thought provoking human interaction between the main characters as well as the secondary ones. The Frodo the cat (Oscar award winning performance) definitely added an element of human and animal bonding by demonstrating the close connection we have with domesticated pets. Some people prefer the company of their pets over other people.
As for the aliens, it was insightful to gain some understanding of their dietary needs. I wanted to learn more about their form of communication with each other, how they reproduce, what is the social structure of their society...are they like bees, reptiles, primates, or are they similar to the Borgs in Startrek. Are they the Apex predator or is there a creature that is forcing them to leave their home world?