Dog Days of a New York Summer

Heat Rises in the Concrete Jungle

It’s 94 today in Manhattan, but it feels even hotter. It must be over 100 degrees on the subway platforms. I should be seasoned to this climate based on my 12-year residence in the great South. Hotlanta, as it is called, has temps in the 90s with high humidity for much of July and August. The main difference is the amount of time in air conditioning vs. not in air conditioning. In the South, most everything has central A/C. In New York, most of the residential buildings have window units only.

With minimal air circulation in high rise apartments, and most with no outdoor spaces, “sultry” is a gentle word of description. For some reason, New York City always feels hotter than other places. This has something to do with the “Urban Heat Phenomenon.” Apparently, due to the amount of asphalt in the concrete jungle, the heat lingers and does not escape like it would in the burbs.  Lucky for suburbanites, I guess. 

How do we manage it? The same way we put up with the winters….stay inside whenever possible. Really, on the few days each summer that feel like a 400 degree oven when walking outside, activities indoors seem to be the answer. Trust me when I say, “Nothing stops New Yorkers.” We embrace any kind of extreme weather; remember, we love excitement and abnormality.

But today, there were just two people lunching on the sidewalk at French Roast at 85th and Broadway. Typically, there wouldn’t be a seat available.

I could just focus on February. By the end of that month, I am really over the winter weather. This past winter was especially brutal. So I can imagine how cold and windy it was, and how I began to actually hate all of the cool boots in my closet. I was so happy by the end of March because I had not worn shoes since October!  I remember dreaming of a hot summer night; with no down coat, and when all I needed to wear was a tank top. It’s here.

So, it is really 14 degrees outside. As I take Bogey for his evening constitutional, I am going to focus on how much I hate the cold and how much I was wishing for warmth just a few short months ago. My wish has been granted, but now I long for my boots again.

Christmas in July?

Posted on July 18, 2011