York29-
Welcome to the forum and to the best grouping of teachers that available. Members on this forum will guide you through every step of the way, and you'll have trees by next year. Seriously think about attending the upcoming fig events at Tim Drag's house in New Jersey and the fig even hosted by a fig grower named Bill of Bill's Figs. Both places are about 1 hour away from the NYC area.
Forget cuttings for now....go for the trees. You'll have plenty of time to play around with trying to root cuttings. If you are as impatient as I was, you'll want to get the oldest trees possible so that you get figs, fast! The two events that I just mentioned will get around the right people and the right trees.
NYC is loaded with good fig trees, and many neighborhoods have dozens of trees growing in yards. Got a friend/relative with a fig tree? Learn how to do some air-layering and root yourself a branch that will bear figs next season. Trees are sold all over the place, and through mail-order, but be selective, and try to buy varieties that will perform well in your area.
Good luck and have fun with figs! By the way....tell us if you are going to grow containerized trees, and how you plan to over-winter your trees.
Frank
Throggs Neck-Pelham Bay