If I am you I would bring my collection from Arizona to Ny. Plant them in pots. Then order a greenhouse for winter. A friend of mine ordered a greenhouse from a company which even financed it for him. He told me he pays few hundreds per month I am checking into that myself. I put my potted figs in the Garage but it is becoming too numerous and increasing every year. A greenhouse will be great.

Why exactly are you lugging them around? Seriously, you are making this WAY too much work. You kick them outside when it's pretty warm, and if they have to come back in, they spend the night on the kitchen floor, or in the garage. The trick is to have some idea of just when certain plants object to the cold. So the sweet peas are already on their own on the front porch, and will probably get planted early next week. They can handle light frost. The other extreme is basil. It freaks at temperatures below 40, so it stays inside until pretty late. Just don't bung them out into broad daylight. They don't like that. Start with somewhere on the north side of the house with shade. The sun is much, much worse than the cold for most seedlings.

My wife and I were looking in Upstate New York, near Sharon Springs, and even found a wonderful place in my hometown of Oneonta (Otsego County). If you want to live in a warm, friendly place with lots of wonderful people, it's the place to go. Unfortunately for me, my job in Nevada chose instead to move me to Seattle, of all places! So, after I found my cute little dream house, I had to give it up. It's still on the market, too. http://www.exitta.com/real-estate/Otsego-Delaware-MLS/Residential/property/75265-3794-State-Highway-23-Oneonta-NY-13820/ Happy hunting! - Jay Here is a link that might be useful: Oneonta dream house

Driving into NYC can be very nerve wracking. If you can leave the car outside the city or plan it well and park where awm indicated you might do better. But parking can cost $50-$65 for a full day or perhaps a bit more. We don't have a car so I'm not current on prices but sometime garages fill up and you can drive around and around. You might do better parking in New Jersey in Hoboken and taking the ferry ride across the river. Especially with a young teen that's a thrill. Those run hourly. There are about 4-5 other towns along the river in Jersey to get the ferry and at the terminal a bus will take you to several midtown locations for free. The ride is about 9 minutes to cross. Here's a link to NY Waterway. That way you're free all day to go around unencumbered and you avoid driving hassles and super expensive parking. When you're done you go back across and you're outta there. I have friends who live in the buildings there who take the ferry to work every day. Times Square takes about 2 mins to see. You just stand there though you can see the ABC Studio and the jumbotron. You might want to eat lunch there at someplace like Carmine's on 44th St., which is family Italian style -- everyone sits together. There's an Olive Garden and many other places. Pizza is good in NY and there are street vendors for hot dogs and shisk kebab. I'm sure he'll want to see the jumbotron. I'd venture a 13 y.o, boy would much rather see the Museum of Natural History (take him to the Ben Stiller Night at the Museum movie first?) than the Met. Other cool stuff is the Sony IMAX theater (3-d) if you don't have that on Broadway and 68th St. Do you have a Virgin Megastore where you live? There's one in midtown (in the 50s I believe). CD heaven. If you don't do the ferry to get to town, definitely take a Circle Line Cruise. It's very cool -- West Side Highway and 39th St (may be 38th). Goes all around the island with tour guide. Also there are Big Apple bus tours from Times Square that go around. Rockefeller Center might be another place to eat lunch -- you see that on TV at Xmas when they light the tree. All types of restaurants and street food as well. If you go early in the morning the Today show studios are there as well. 49th St. bet Fifth and Ave of the Americas. Any of those should give you a great day. Here is a link that might be useful: NY Waterway