There are two websites that will be useful to you if you are planning on using census data or other NYC related data. Both of these sites can be accessed for free without having to set up an account as long as you are on campus and using the QC network.
The first is Social Explorer (www.socialexplorer.com). Social Explorer has US census data going back to 1790 and includes all of the 2010 census data that has been released so far. You can search by zip code to produce maps and reports drawn from this data.
The second is Infoshare (www.infoshare.org). Infoshare was developed by a Queens College Professor and gives you access to New York City data from a range of sources, including data on public health, crime, housing, businesses and land use.
