Excellent point about Allen borrowing from literature as much as cinema, and about the autobiographical aspect of his movies. He manages to incorporate his comic persona into his narratives, in fact, his heroes remain essentially standup personalities. Whatever I get from Allen (not in the often accomplished screenplays) seems to stem from his excellent choice of cinematographers and other crew.
I enjoy watching b&w CinemaScope shots of NYC landmarks to the strains of Gershwin in MANHATTAN. But like you say, this is "his" Manhattan, certainly not mine. Just like his obsessive need seduce a much younger(usually),w.a.s.p.(almost always)woman is "his" preoccupation, not mine. 