n8m:
New York City IS the busiest place all year round, and it’s one of the few American cities where you can get around easily without a car, and people there are generally foreigner-friendly (some say half of its residents were born oversea), so I’d suggest that you start from there.
Do you know an organization called Big Apple Greeter? It’s a non-profit tour guide company in NYC. If you fill out an application online in advance, they can set up a personal tour guide JUST FOR YOU, who will meet you at the place you stay, and give you a one-day tour of the city for FREE. All the guides are volunteers and they know the city VERY well. If you have special interest in certain neighborhood or subject, they will try to find a volunteer who matches your interests. If you wish, they might even match you with someone who speaks Russian! They won’t actually help you looking for jobs, but you can ask your greeter any questions you have about living and working in NYC, and I’m sure they can give you good advices.
Welcome to Big Apple Greeter