KahlessNestor
Adventurer
"Dr. Acula. Paging Dr. Acula. Your hematology lab results are in."
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Help me build Urban Fantasy NYC
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Mother was a nightclub in the Meatpacking district. Depending on the night, it could be filled with neon, vinyl, leather, latex. Heck, even a bunch of people with fangs (It was one of the hang-outs for the ahem, NYC vampires). It was also the venue for the Night of 1,000 Stevies, a Stevie Nicks tribute (featured in the movie Gypsy 83).
Sir Brennen
Legend
If the supernatural Melting Pot concept intrigues you, here's another recommendation for Neil Gaiman's American Gods. The book is also going to be a series on the Starz network, premiering in April this year.
You might also check out the author China Miéville. His Bas-Lag trilogy, especially the first book Perido Street Station, are focused on telling unique fantasy stories in a very industrialized world. The first book is placed primarily in the city. Not exactly the typical urban fantasy, but I could definitely see adding elements of those books to a more conventional instance of the sub-genre.
He also wrote a few other novels that do fit into typical urban fantasy a little better:
The City & the City police procedural hopping between alternate realities
King Rat (since you have wererats. The antagonist in the book is the immortal Pied Piper of Hamelin.)
Un Lun Dun YA novel about London and it's alternate world. (See also Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere)
Kraken sort of a dark comedy about a cult who worships an embalmed giant squid taken from the Natural History Museum. Has a gang leader who's a living tattoo.
You might also check out the author China Miéville. His Bas-Lag trilogy, especially the first book Perido Street Station, are focused on telling unique fantasy stories in a very industrialized world. The first book is placed primarily in the city. Not exactly the typical urban fantasy, but I could definitely see adding elements of those books to a more conventional instance of the sub-genre.
He also wrote a few other novels that do fit into typical urban fantasy a little better:
The City & the City police procedural hopping between alternate realities
King Rat (since you have wererats. The antagonist in the book is the immortal Pied Piper of Hamelin.)
Un Lun Dun YA novel about London and it's alternate world. (See also Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere)
Kraken sort of a dark comedy about a cult who worships an embalmed giant squid taken from the Natural History Museum. Has a gang leader who's a living tattoo.
I don't have Starz, but I'm glad to hear that.
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TBeholder
Explorer
Honestly? I want, yet don't expect to see in Urban Fantasy... an interesting and consistent setting.
"Kitchen sinks" are only good when you do something interesting with them (which usually requires a "meta origin" like e.g. in Gunnerkrigg). Otherwise they make more of mess than is needed at best and no better than world of warcrack clones at worst. Imageboards try to do generic things every other month, and it descends into boring every time, and rather quickly. Conversely, the craziest attempts at world-building sometimes turn out to be really good.
If you have "Inspired by X" draft, it may be a good start, but only if you add some twist. With "X meets Y" or "X as Y" - potential varies, but usually you'll need something more if it's not one-shot.
Or even if it's a big one-shot: e.g. "The Tales of the Emperasque" had to hunt down and eat some old memes, but it also deconstructed Deus Ex Machina.
Either way, thinking it all through is even more necessary than in non-interactive fiction, because RPG can test consistency harder than anything else - "just stuff the broken parts under the bed and pretend they're not here" is not an option.
Also, most common mistakes (and some new ideas) are covered in Limyaael's Fantasy Rants - it may be helpful to read, and if not, at least there's a good laugh.
Maps - NYC has a long history and maps can help you layout your setting. Vampires in New York are Dutch. 
Historical Subway Maps
Historical NYC Maps & Atlases
Historical Subway Maps
Historical NYC Maps & Atlases
Nah, the Dutch critters would be the Bokkenrijders* or Witte Wieven, not vampires.
Or maybe Zwarte Piet summers in Harlem...
* nowadays driving Dodge Ram trucks.
Or maybe Zwarte Piet summers in Harlem...
* nowadays driving Dodge Ram trucks.
Herobizkit
Adventurer
I hope the Ghostbusters feature prominently as the go-to "experts" on the paranormal. Maybe they've franchised out to other scientists...?
Mad_Jack
Legend
Speaking of the meat-packing district, one of Simon R. Green's Hawk & Fisher books (fantasy buddy-cop fiction set in the city-state of Haven) has a necromancer attempting to raise the spirits of all the animals butchered over the decades in a slaughterhouse...
You can also draw inspiration from DiCaprio's Gangs of New York, since a number of historical ethnic gangs in areas like Five Points, Hell's Kitchen, Little Italy, etc., could well have had ties to the supernatural entities of their homelands and/or may even have been created by or include some of them... They may still be fighting for territory, or maybe the old city Bosses may still be in charge of the unions or the mayor's office.
The Irish neighborhoods in particular are some of the oldest in the city, and could be influenced heavily by the generic Victorian Era-style Sidhe (banshees, leprechauns, etc.), the actual historical Tuatha de Daanan or even just the druids. Hell, the Irish gods themselves could be living in NYC.
If the various ethnic Mobs have supernatural influences, it could give entirely new meaning to the term "made man"...
Oh, and don't forget that there was historically a huge Native American presence in that area before the Dutch and the English showed up - It's possible there's a powerful magically-active faction mixing Big Business with the Old Ways, or maybe there's even a Lost Tribe living underground beneath the subway tunnels, pushed further and further underground over the centuries by the expansion of other supernatural groups into the undercity...
You can also draw inspiration from DiCaprio's Gangs of New York, since a number of historical ethnic gangs in areas like Five Points, Hell's Kitchen, Little Italy, etc., could well have had ties to the supernatural entities of their homelands and/or may even have been created by or include some of them... They may still be fighting for territory, or maybe the old city Bosses may still be in charge of the unions or the mayor's office.
The Irish neighborhoods in particular are some of the oldest in the city, and could be influenced heavily by the generic Victorian Era-style Sidhe (banshees, leprechauns, etc.), the actual historical Tuatha de Daanan or even just the druids. Hell, the Irish gods themselves could be living in NYC.
If the various ethnic Mobs have supernatural influences, it could give entirely new meaning to the term "made man"...
Oh, and don't forget that there was historically a huge Native American presence in that area before the Dutch and the English showed up - It's possible there's a powerful magically-active faction mixing Big Business with the Old Ways, or maybe there's even a Lost Tribe living underground beneath the subway tunnels, pushed further and further underground over the centuries by the expansion of other supernatural groups into the undercity...
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Eltab
Lord of the Hidden Layer
The original 'Superman' movie had Lex Luthor in a very-underground base. You had to climb down a flight of stairs from the subway. He claimed to own Park Avenue real estate, so we have an approximate location.
The 'Percy Jackson' novels allow you to access Mt. Olympus by taking the Empire State Building's elevator to the 1000th floor.
Marvel Comics are set in the real world, look through them for ideas about how to stay hidden - or deal with the fact that everybody knows who you are.
If you have demigods, the heir of God of Storms (Mr. Thorson?) might live someplace with a reputation of always being stormy and rainy. Because the weather responds to his whims and temper. He probably moved somewhere well uphill, because of the constant localized flooding.
The 'Percy Jackson' novels allow you to access Mt. Olympus by taking the Empire State Building's elevator to the 1000th floor.
Marvel Comics are set in the real world, look through them for ideas about how to stay hidden - or deal with the fact that everybody knows who you are.
If you have demigods, the heir of God of Storms (Mr. Thorson?) might live someplace with a reputation of always being stormy and rainy. Because the weather responds to his whims and temper. He probably moved somewhere well uphill, because of the constant localized flooding.
