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We have a mid sized two bedroom uptown in the city. We get a LOT of light.
In order to stay cool, we kept our blinds closed all day (we usually open them because we enjoy our view) and have kept AC units in our master bedroom and livingroom/kitchen on at 77 F.
We have two window units.
What are you doing to stay cool during this epic NYC heat/humidity?
I know people here in the city with NO AC! How the hell can they do it!?
Edit: We are also keeping all lights off. TV is on thought
Having grown up in NYC during the 1970's and 1980's when many places did not have AC (including our home except for a few rooms, thanks to tight fisted Dad, *LOL*) have to say much of the panic about heat is in your head.
Neither my elementary or high school had AC, few family members had central AC and those with window units often weren't overly generous..... Places you went from church to offices didn't always have AC. NYC buses and subways it was a crap shoot and mostly not. I can remember as kids and teens everyone would try to be the first on the "specials" (NYC buses that ran school routes) to nab a seat near a window for the breeze.
Staten Island was largely still rural suburban so all that open land helped keep down heat. You could leave your windows and doors open for a breeze (helped by a fan), and on really hot nights the streets would be crowded with adults sitting on porches/stoops and kids playing.
After dinner Dad would often pile us kids into the car and along with Mom we'd go for ice cream. If it was Dad and us kids alone that trip could be (and often was) to his local. There he'd have a few cold ones while we kids either got glasses of soda pop or finished eating whatever cool treat purchased before arriving.
Recall working in plenty of offices that didn't have AC. In fact watching Kojack the other night brought back memories. No AC in that place except for window units, and only top people got those. Needless to say the guys were sweating bullets.
Living on SI the great thing about going home from the City was taking the ferry. Those old boats you could sit outside and catch a nice breeze.
Growing up you could always tell who had AC or not; those that didn't had the main door open and just the "screen" door closed. Those who had AC places were shut up tight. Of course when the AC was on all kids would hear was "hey, do you think I work for Con Edison? Stay in or out, the AC is on".... That or "if you come in this house one more time you're staying in..."
Of course living on SI plenty of people had pools in their back yard. If you did not often a friend or family member would invite you over. Sometimes the moms would just decide it was too hot to cook and an impromptu BBQ/pool party was arranged with several families from the block or perhaps relatives came over.
Getting back to original query having known what heat is and living without AC am able to cope well enough now by relying on my upbringing. I keep the blinds/drapes closed, move about as little as possible, wear as little as possible and take plenty of showers.
Really don't like sleeping with AC on (dislike recycled air) so if can help it would rather not.
Thing about heat like this is to remember the old ways: you get up early and do anything that involves "work" and or heat (such as cooking) early in the day before things heat up. My mothers and grandmothers were often up at the crack of dawn during the summer. They'd have much of the housework and a good part of what would be for dinner done before lunch.
Having grown up in NYC during the 1970's and 1980's when many places did not have AC (including our home except for a few rooms, thanks to tight fisted Dad, *LOL*) have to say much of the panic about heat is in your head.
Neither my elementary or high school had AC, few family members had central AC and those with window units often weren't overly generous..... Places you went from church to offices didn't always have AC. NYC buses and subways it was a crap shoot and mostly not. I can remember as kids and teens everyone would try to be the first on the "specials" (NYC buses that ran school routes) to nab a seat near a window for the breeze.
Staten Island was largely still rural suburban so all that open land helped keep down heat. You could leave your windows and doors open for a breeze (helped by a fan), and on really hot nights the streets would be crowded with adults sitting on porches/stoops and kids playing.
After dinner Dad would often pile us kids into the car and along with Mom we'd go for ice cream. If it was Dad and us kids alone that trip could be (and often was) to his local. There he'd have a few cold ones while we kids either got glasses of soda pop or finished eating whatever cool treat purchased before arriving.
Recall working in plenty of offices that didn't have AC. In fact watching Kojack the other night brought back memories. No AC in that place except for window units, and only top people got those. Needless to say the guys were sweating bullets.
Living on SI the great thing about going home from the City was taking the ferry. Those old boats you could sit outside and catch a nice breeze.
Growing up you could always tell who had AC or not; those that didn't had the main door open and just the "screen" door closed. Those who had AC places were shut up tight. Of course when the AC was on all kids would hear was "hey, do you think I work for Con Edison? Stay in or out, the AC is on".... That or "if you come in this house one more time you're staying in..."
Of course living on SI plenty of people had pools in their back yard. If you did not often a friend or family member would invite you over. Sometimes the moms would just decide it was too hot to cook and an impromptu BBQ/pool party was arranged with several families from the block or perhaps relatives came over.
Getting back to original query having known what heat is and living without AC am able to cope well enough now by relying on my upbringing. I keep the blinds/drapes closed, move about as little as possible, wear as little as possible and take plenty of showers.
Really don't like sleeping with AC on (dislike recycled air) so if can help it would rather not.
Thing about heat like this is to remember the old ways: you get up early and do anything that involves "work" and or heat (such as cooking) early in the day before things heat up. My mothers and grandmothers were often up at the crack of dawn during the summer. They'd have much of the housework and a good part of what would be for dinner done before lunch.
It's all in our heads until our entire face is covered in sweat. I too dislike sleeping with the A/C on, but for different reasons. I find myself getting up at 4am because my room's too cold or if I manage to sleep through the cold I'm up shortly after 7am from the bright sun because my curtains won't close all the way without blocking the air flow.
Gosh I seem so spoiled when I read your story lol
Even though I wasn't thought of in the 70's and 80's I couldn't imagine growing up without a A/C I hate the summer.
I'm ditto-ing Bugsy. I grew up in the 'burbs in the 60's -- no one I knew had air conditioning.
I still don't own an AC. I *do* use a fan. But not for sleeping. Sure it can get very uncomfortable trying to sleep -- sweating and all -- but I deal with it.
It's kind of funny and sad seeing how people today get so weirded out when it gets hot. My co-workers will refuse to go out of the building for lunch. Sometimes all they talk about is the heat. There's nothing new about hot and humid summers in the northeast. Of course there is global warming -- considering the world in total -- but locally I don't thing the climate has become dramatically worse. I remember 100+ degree days occuring in the sixties -- very rare, but they did happen. Nowadays everyone's in a panic cause the Feel-Like temperature is above 100.
Ahh, maybe it's just some people, who are less troubled by the weather. Some people walk into a room and instantly worry that there is a draft. They go to great measures to find the perfect table in a restaurant, not to close to the heat or the chill. Just the way we're built, I guess.
I'm ditto-ing Bugsy. I grew up in the 'burbs in the 60's -- no one I knew had air conditioning.
I still don't own an AC. I *do* use a fan. But not for sleeping. Sure it can get very uncomfortable trying to sleep -- sweating and all -- but I deal with it.
It's kind of funny and sad seeing how people today get so weirded out when it gets hot. My co-workers will refuse to go out of the building for lunch. Sometimes all they talk about is the heat. There's nothing new about hot and humid summers in the northeast. Of course there is global warming -- considering the world in total -- but locally I don't thing the climate has become dramatically worse. I remember 100+ degree days occuring in the sixties -- very rare, but they did happen. Nowadays everyone's in a panic cause the Feel-Like temperature is above 100.
Ahh, maybe it's just some people, who are less troubled by the weather. Some people walk into a room and instantly worry that there is a draft. They go to great measures to find the perfect table in a restaurant, not to close to the heat or the chill. Just the way we're built, I guess.
I was brought up not to want what I hadn't got. Since few places I went had AC, didn't really feel deprived or anything. We and plenty of other people had fans, that was good enough.
Also back then we kids and even as teens were out of the house most of the summer. Riding our bikes, going to various parks, playing street games, etc.... Plus the downside of the heat was you got extra pocket money for the "ice cream man".... Often one of the dads on the block or maybe an older male family member who as visiting would treat the whole pack of us kids to ice cream or ices.
Being from Staten Island the Jersey shore was like second home. Most everybody went there back then.
Think people today are too spoiled by AC being nearly universal. I've been down South (Mobile, Alabama, Parris Island, SC, New Orleans, Louisiana, etc... during August with no AC. Trust me some of you don't know what "hot" and "humid" is....
Don't even get started about how many clubs and other spots late as the 1980's and even 1990's either didn't have AC or it was barely adequate. Wearing polyester double knit pants and or shirts made of polyester didn't help matters either. *LOL*
I only have one air conditioned room in my house, I stay in there when I can but I don't mind going outside, I work in this heat and it's not too bad as long as I stay hydrated.
Going out late at night is fine, it's usually not super hot past midnight.
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I too dislike sleeping with the A/C on, but for different reasons. I find myself getting up at 4am because my room's too cold or if I manage to sleep through the cold I'm up shortly after 7am from the bright sun because my curtains won't close all the way without blocking the air flow. 
