I live in Binghamton, which is in upstate NY. Just bought an '06 GSX-R 600 and am paranoid as hell about it getting stolen or vandalized. I used to live in what appeared to be a nice neighborhood there, but had my mail/packages stolen on a daily basis (had to get PO Box, etc). So I waited until I moved to the next town over to buy a scoot.
Luckily I live in a quiet apartment complex now with a carport behind my building. I park my car next to someone's antique covered BMW which never moves... I then roll my bike in and position it between my car and his, and chain it to the pole at the entrance. With the steering wheel lock on, it's impossible to maneuver it out. I also cover it up for that added privacy.
The kids that play around the parking lot know that it's my bike so they would surely tell me or their parents if they saw someone suspicious around it. I also hope to get some sort of alarm system like scorpio in the near future. I just wish LoJack was in my area.
Ride safe