Opinions on tire size

[Hammerdown]

I'm in need of new tires for my 05 Forenza with stock rims, & looking into buying some FALKEN ZIEX ZE-912 : 205/50HR15. The stock Hankook 195/55/15 are very rough & poor handling tires in my opinion & was looking for something a little better. Obviously the 205 width would make the car handle better, however how much worse would a 50 height make in driveablility (bumps, potholes, rough road). Unfortunately these tires dont come in stock size, unless they are V rated.
This is my commuter car & I drive in NYC, which has notoriously bad roads.
Any help/opinions from personal experience appreciated.

[7-even]

i live on long island in, ny so i know all about the driving both here and in the city. my advise would be this: look for a good all season tire dont just look for performance. when winter comes along performance tires get you knowhere. there are a few companies now that are making really good tires for performance that are also good all season.

[Hammerdown]

As far as winter I'm not worried because I have my Subaru WRX, which I drive in the snow with no problems. What attracted me to these tires is that they perform well & they are inexpensive, actually less expensive than the Hankooks. The Falkens actually have pretty good ratings for rain & snow also.