Cool summers in Portland? (Ione: sublet, rent, townhouse)

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

Come visit, urbanlife!
I miss just about everything about NYC except for the weather. :-)

We are planning on moving back by the end of next summer, that way we can stay in NYC long enough to have some good work experience on our resumes and possibly be able to build careers there off of what we are doing here.

[xz2y]

I'm the OP and I think this thread got off track from my inquiry about summer weather in Portland to the homeless problem in Portland. I believe there is a separate thread for the Portland homeless problem, which is certainly significant.

Thanks to the posters who responded to my question about Portland summers.

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by NWGirl74

They really aren't needed except for a few days out of the year. I think most make do with fans and window AC units.

That's interesting. The heatwave here in Michigan just broke today after 5 straight days of heat indexes in the low 100's. Unbelievable. My apartment building is old and the window AC is about 50 years old (original to the building). I only use fans and this past week was a challenge.

[oldtintype]

I am a weather wimp. I hate hot weather and would be thrilled if it was 65 degrees all year long. I have a portable air conditioner that gets hooked up in May and taken down in Oct. A lot of my use has depended on whether or not I faced west or south in places I've lived (i.e. east and north you won't be getting afternoon sun and the hottest part of the day here is 3-7pm). Right now I'm in a very modern building with good insulation but we face west so I tend to only use it after 3 or 4pm and until about 7pm because I get a good breeze that cools everything down after that. And I don't run it every day, but if it gets much above 80 I do. I'm OK being warm but I draw the line and sitting and sweating . Could I survive without it? Yes, but we had a heat wave a few weeks ago that was coupled with humidity we're not used to and I personally feel really angry when it's 95 and humid so having the portable air kept me and my kids a lot happier. You really don't need an air conditioner all the time, but maybe 2-3 weeks a year it's really helpful/necessary and another 4-5 weeks it's nice to have. I know I also use mine more in the beginning of summer when the first hot days hit and less as the summer goes on and I get used to it. But again, I am a self professed weather wimp and hate the heat.

[turquoise1]

Oldtintype, that's how I feel too. I know most people love the heat...

[Fiddlehead]

Hot and cranky...that would describe me too!

I used to be something of a desert rat, but these days it gets under my skin. I agree. This summer has had a few hot and fairly humid stretches that were notably uncomfortable.

[travelin'bones]

I like it cool indoors in the summer and the first "heat wave" we had made me slightly nervous, so I bought a portable AC. It hasn't been absolutely necessary, but it's comfortable. I could get by without, but why not be comfortable!? It works great and super easy to throw the hose in the window.

My apt. doesn't get much airflow, so it's stuffy without it. This is my first summer here, definitely the most mild summer I have ever experienced (Midwest, southwest, CA coast). I have not used AC in my bedroom, just a fan in the window, and am still sleeping with a down comforter.

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by travelin'bones

I like it cool indoors in the summer and the first "heat wave" we had made me slightly nervous, so I bought a portable AC. It hasn't been absolutely necessary, but it's comfortable. I could get by without, but why not be comfortable!? It works great and super easy to throw the hose in the window.

My apt. doesn't get much airflow, so it's stuffy without it. This is my first summer here, definitely the most mild summer I have ever experienced (Midwest, southwest, CA coast). I have not used AC in my bedroom, just a fan in the window, and am still sleeping with a down comforter.

A down comforter in July? I'm jealous! While the heat wave broke over the weekend, it's still really humid and will be into the low-mid 80's all week. It's July and that's normal, but after that heat wave, I'm ready for fall!

[lookinforhorseparadise]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

I am a weather wimp. I hate hot weather and would be thrilled if it was 65 degrees all year long. I have a portable air conditioner that gets hooked up in May and taken down in Oct. A lot of my use has depended on whether or not I faced west or south in places I've lived (i.e. east and north you won't be getting afternoon sun and the hottest part of the day here is 3-7pm). Right now I'm in a very modern building with good insulation but we face west so I tend to only use it after 3 or 4pm and until about 7pm because I get a good breeze that cools everything down after that. And I don't run it every day, but if it gets much above 80 I do. I'm OK being warm but I draw the line and sitting and sweating . Could I survive without it? Yes, but we had a heat wave a few weeks ago that was coupled with humidity we're not used to and I personally feel really angry when it's 95 and humid so having the portable air kept me and my kids a lot happier. You really don't need an air conditioner all the time, but maybe 2-3 weeks a year it's really helpful/necessary and another 4-5 weeks it's nice to have. I know I also use mine more in the beginning of summer when the first hot days hit and less as the summer goes on and I get used to it. But again, I am a self professed weather wimp and hate the heat.

Living in Florida has been pure hell.....I use both central and window unit a/c....the house is not big and there is no washer/dryer and I keep it set at a reasonable 77 during the day, 75 at night. Yet I have had electric bills up to $500......AVERAGE is over $300!!! A/C is MANDATORY year round here. My medical issues are not compatible with Florida weather.....so I am looking forward to cool and cloudy time in Portland.

[classicanne]

Originally Posted by xz2y

Do most people have AC in homes and apartments?

No. This is my 4th summer in Portland, last summer was the warmest I'd experienced, heatwave-wise. When we hit 100 degrees twice last year I decided to throw in the towel and bought a portable AC unit for this year. If I worked somewhere else and had a car and had no pets at home, I'd probably do what many do, go to the movies or the mall to cool off, or even stand around in the Salmon Street fountain, but I work at home, have dogs and cats and no car, and I don't like sweltering. I came here from Florida to get AWAY from that. Being it's portable, I don't have it in the window all the time, just on the occasional hot days, and usually running it in the late afternoon and early evening awhile, and it's been a great relief. If that makes me a wimp, so be it.