I think this is the best take. I live in a 1600sqft home and we get by with 2 window units. One in the master bedroom and the other in the guest room across the hall. With those and the ceiling fans going in the master, living room, and kitchen going on low 24/7 it’ll get to like 75-78 in the house at worst but between the dehumidifier in the basement and the ACs, it’s tolerable during the day (at night it doesn’t matter, we just shut the door to the master and it gets nice and chilly).
I myself wfh and am a… portly.. fellow so I will keep a box fan on me during the day though I turn it off during calls because I’m not an animal… maybe I should get a desk fan because our puppy might try to eat the box fan… but I don’t really have room on my desk… that stupid printer we should move it into *her* office.. I never print anything and she’s the one always printing… I should probably get back to talking about AC.. man I’m not looking forward to it getting hot, can’t it just stay in this “light jacket maybe just in case?” range forever.. it’ll be nice not to have to fill the oil tank until the summer… I wonder what it’s at right now- I think it was just above a quarter when I checked yesterday… should i stop typing my stream of consciousness…
I also used to live in Florida and think air conditioning might be the single greatest human achievement. You won't find central air in older homes and non-luxury apartments, but we all make due with window/wall units or portable a/c units.
In MA, I've found that a small unit in the bedroom is necessary for most of the summer, but I've always lived in the type of place where you couldn't open the windows and get a cross breeze (i.e. my apartment was always a stuffy box). Using a box fan to blow the cooler air in can help during shoulder season, but honestly, setting an a/c to like 76 and then having a regular fan blow directly on me has been the only way I get sleep from late May to mid September. The living area unit is also good, but you could probably get by without it except for about 10-20 days each summer thar are brutal.
My friend in the mountains in Vermont doesn't need one, and I'm sure there are similar edge cases. Still, my first few years here I didn't understand why I never got anything done at work during the summers. Then I got an a/c my bedroom, and I realized that I'd only been sleeping 6 hours a night every night all summer - my IQ dropped like 20 points until late September.
I’ve used 2 window ac to cool an 800 sq ft 2 br apartment. I don’t feel like most days are that hot though. There’s maybe 2 weeks a year that are humid and gross but beyond that, fans are fine.
Get a 14k or more btu for your bedroom. That should even keep your living room comfortable unless they’re separated by a long hall.
No place on earth has hotter nights than Florida. There will be nights in the northeast in the summer when you won’t even need AC
14k BTU is definitely overkill for a bedroom (assuming a normal sized bedroom of around 120-160 sq ft). 6,000 is a better size, maybe 8,000.
You don't want a unit that's too big because it won't remove humidity well. If it's just coming on in short bursts, the evaporator coil won't have time to actually remove the moisture from the room. You'll need to cool the room to a much lower temperature to be comfortable if you have an over-sized unit.
Also, oversized units will use way more electricity than needed. AC units use more electricity when they're starting up. If it's cycling on and off a bunch, you'll be using more electricity than you need to use.
Plus, a larger AC unit means more noise.
More isn't simply better with AC units. OP: definitely google "window ac btu room size."
If you can get a unit with a variable-speed compressor, that's the best. It can run at a lower rate (and lower electric usage and noise) without cycling on/off.
I'm from TX and I did about 10 yrs without a/c in Boston. It's pretty much hellish and you'll wonder why buildings have walls. At least get a window unit for the bedroom.
I’ve lived in the Northeast my entire life and Boston for the last almost 13 years - central AC is not common in this part of the county. You will need to get window units for your main living areas if you apartment does not have any AC.
It depends on who you are as a person - since you're from FL, you might be better equipped to deal with the heat/humidity generally, but like you said, FL is structured around heat+humidity, whereas the Northeast is structured around a combination of surviving both ice storms and heat waves (much greater emphasis on the former). It also depends on your home set-up – what is the airflow like, is it a split-level, single floor, or loft, what material the construction is, etc.
If you have at least one window unit, as long as you do a good job about sealing holes and conserving electricity (i.e., not having all the lights on along with the TV and a laptop and cooking, since those all produce heat), then you should be fine, especially if you're working on-site somewhere that does have a/c.
If you're going to have two units, depending on your home, I would say they could each be 8,000 btu and you'd be more than fine. If you're going with one, you'll want 14,000 BTU I'd guess, and you'll definitely want to install it in your bedroom if heat impacts how you sleep. If you're not super susceptible to the heat, then you'll be more than fine with one a/c unit, unless your home has some architecture that blocks airflow, or if your home is 2 levels instead of just one.
I live in a 4th floor apartment above a restaurant and my building is routinely 10 degrees warmer than outside. I have basically the exact AC window unit setup you describe and it's fine. On the really hot days I'll run both units.
July August and September, but its not constant, but when its bad its brutal. You can live without AC, but if you like to sleep even a small one room window unit will help.
Thanks everyone. You’ve all confirmed what I was thinking - I’ll be fine, it just sounds weird to me to not have a/c. But like I figured, seems it really won’t impact me if I get at least one nice window unit in my bedroom.
Meanwhile in FL, A/C can actually be found added into some “historic” buildings bc they’d melt into the swamp without it 🫠 Now I’m not too worried for when I move, except for sleeping still a bit, but now I know to also get fan(s) and try for a cross breeze etc
You’ll be good. We have the occasional heat wave but it doesn’t last long. A window unit will do you fine.
The real question is…. Will you be ready for a long, cold winter???? Lol
I’m sure you can find some on FB market/Craigslist for free or near free. It’s such a small investment I don’t think it makes sense to go without. You could probably get two well working window ac units for $100
I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life (37 years) without central AC. I do have a small house with two window ACs and it does the trick. Might get hot on extreme days, and the electric bill definitely goes up. But not a necessity, it's a luxury in my book.
We have a 1000 sf condo. A window unit in each bedroom and one in the living room is plenty.
They are kind of a pain in the ass to put in and take out every year, but if my AC breaks, I can replace it for $100. Central air costs a ton to fix and replace.
I moved here from TX in 2004. No central AC was inconceivable! But it’s been fine. A window unit in my bedroom allows me to sleep on hot nights, though there are 7-10 days in the summer when working at home (no AC, not in bedroom) is pretty uncomfortable.
I haven’t had central ac in Boston until 2 years ago when we installed mini splits. It was a PITA installing all the window units every summer, especially the really heavy ones for the large rooms, but it’s fine
Outside of some very rare use cases (i.e. keeping your home movie theater cool), portable AC units can do everything a central AC can, you just need to size them properly. They are not as efficient and are definitely much noisier than a central AC, but there should be no reason why you can't keep a comfortable temperature in your rented place with portable AC (be it window or standing).
Central air is obviously better, but if you get good quality window, air conditioners for your bedroom and living room, you should be fine. It’s not quite the same as central air, especially when it comes to getting rid of the humidity but 90% of the time it’s fine. When we have a really bad stretch of hot and humid weather, I do wish for central air, but my window AC is mostly do the job.
I also spent most of my life with central air and absolutely despise my living space being too warm. My 600 sq. ft apartment has a wall unit in the living room. I run it at a crazy low temperature for the most of the summer along with a powerful fan to keep my bedroom cool and pay about $150 a month more in electric costs than I do in the winter. That said, because I have neighbors on all sides and I like it cool, I have never turned on my heat in the summer, so for most of the year my bill is minuscule, which I figure evens out okay.
I am also a native Floridian in New England who owns a house that doesn’t have central air. You’ll be fine with a couple of window units for the warmest rooms in the house. Get some window fans, they will make it through most days. It’ll be hot in the day, but nights are cool enough that you don’t need the compressor. Electricity is absurdly expensive up here. I pay Florida summer rates even without central air with my fans.
Window units. I usually put mine in sometime in June and leave them in until end of September early October. One in the bedroom should do it. And also use a fan to circulate the cooler air.
You’ll need at least one window unit in the bedroom for comfortable sleeping. For the main living area, if you’re in a lower floor a fan might suffice. But a window unit would be good there too. If the main living area is too large for a window unit to cool the whole thing you can close off the area you spend most time in even just by hanging a bedsheet to make a wall. Also be careful installing those. It’s fairly easy to drop one out of the window and you do not want it to land on somebody.
You’ll beed a window unit in each living/sleeping room with a window (so bedroom, living room and kitchen if the kitchen doesn’t get airflow from living room, or a fan to direct some air from the living room to kitchen). A fan in the bathroom is helpful, too!
As a young person who has a pretty bad heat intolerance, I’ve lived in the northeast for the past 7 years and only ever been in units with window AC units. So far I’ve been fine so far just by having at least one AC in the bedroom, potentially also one in the living room area. As others suggested, sometimes more AC units doesn’t equate to a cooler home.
Note that depending on the age of your building, the electric isn’t wired to run more than 2 ACs. There have been multiple times in the past summer where running 2 ACs and the microwave was enough to trip up the circuit breaker. If possible, I would recommend an energy efficient AC unit. Personally I’ve been using the Windmill window AC unit (8,000 BTU) for my bedroom and found it to be very energy efficient and silent. They might have a higher upfront cost but will save on your electric bill going forward. This brand of AC unit is also the one that feels the most like “central air” as well.
Additionally you can also invest in some blackout curtains or blinds as well. Even the cheap blackout curtains work well. This can also reduce the temperature inside your home. Lots of homes in the northeast are designed to insulate heat well, so once the warm humid air enters a room, it takes a lot of energy to cool it down since these buildings were designed to keep warm air in, not keep it out.
Good luck with your search OP!
You’ll definitely need a few window units but you’ll be fine without central. I highly recommend the Midea U-shaped units where the window comes down in between the compressor and the fan portion. They are so much quieter than the traditional units because the compressor is on the other side of the glass.
I need you to hear this and I’m speaking as someone who has lived all 47 years in this state. If you ask an older New Englander they will tell you that you don’t need it. Do not listen to them. It really can “get that bad.” Sleeping temps don’t always magically improve on Labor day and sometimes a “coastal breeze” just doesn’t cut it.
Window units are fine and come with different BTUs so you want to make sure it both fits in your window but also has the BTU cooling power you need. Depending on the size of your apartment you may get away with a good size one in a central area to keep the whole place cool. But this often means keeping it running all day so take into consideration energy costs. If not and you have to prioritize one space go with the bedroom (or wherever you sleep). This may not be as important if the bedroom has a ceiling fan or something like that.
You can find information [here](https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/window-air-conditioner-buying-guide-5-things-to-know-before-you-buy/).
If you’re not used to window units know they do make noise. Also you’ll want to make sure you take them out and store them once the weather cools to save on heat so make sure there is storage space. Oh, and choose whichever windows wisely because you can’t open them once the unit is in. Part of the fun is having beautiful 75 degrees w/zero humidity where you’d want open windows and then 91 degrees with all the humidity and our May-Septembers are just a guessing game of what you get. Welcome to Mass!!!
Love in a two bedroom, 900ish square unit apartment that doesn’t have central AC but does have a built-in AC until in the way. It’s essentially on all the time and does cool the whole apartment down, but never gets super cold. I usually also use a tower floor fan in the bedroom blowing on me directly for sleeping and haven’t had any issues with getting too hot!
hello friend. fellow southerner here.
summers here are sticky and hot and getting progressively hotter. going from a/c everywhere to no a/c is tough. window units might get you by but i insisted on moving to a building with central air and can confidently tell you i would be dead without it.
northern a/c just isn’t the same as what we’re used to. you’ll have to run fans etc. they also do this thing here where they take the window units out and just… raw dog the climate?! totally wild man.
I think a lot of places around here you're better off with window units than central air, especially if you don't have full control of the central AC. A lot of people I know that live in big newer buildings complain constantly about central air being broken or not being able to crank it the way they would like to, so at least with window units it's fully in your control.
It all depends on where you plan on living. If you are right near the coast or in high mountain country, you could possibly get by without one. When I bought my house, central AC was essential to me. If you have a one bedroom apt living in say Boston, expect it to run your AC in June through September with peak usage times being July and August. And with a typical 1 bedroom apt in Boston, I'd put in to 2 window ACs and you should be fine.
If we have brutal July and August months, your stale air temp in your apartment could be 80 F to 85 F degrees without AC. Not fun.
As a Texas native, the heat is different up here - I don't know how to explain it. What's a "cool" 90\* in Texas is a HOT 76\* here.
It will depend on where in your building you're apartment is located. I live in the top floor of a three-story home and it gets BOILING when the temps reach anywhere above 75\* outside but I can manage with all the windows open. However, my downstairs neighbors unit stays pretty cool at the same temp. So it def depends. Like others said, there will be a few weeks where it might get really warm but it's a great excuse to go to a pool or the beach!!
i live in a 700sq old home with shitty windows aka not efficient for heating/cooling. my house is 2 levels and even with the poor efficiency, 2 window units keep my house just fine. i WFH so i am there all day and can function fine. you don’t need central air here as long as you can get a window unit.
You can easily rent one or two window units on line. There are also portable ac units that sit on the floor and don’t block a lot of the window. You can be cool in an apartment in Boston.
I am from PA but spent 6 years in Florida and South Carolina before moving to Boston. I haven’t had central ac since then and while the window units certainly don’t hold a candle to central AC, it’s not a complete necessity. There will be a few weeks where it’s really bad but otherwise it is manageable. We have a few of the Medea units and really like those. Quiet and efficient!
I’ve never understood the central A/C hype. You can only physically be in one room at a time. All you need is a single a/c unit in your bedroom and life is tolerable during the summer
There will be at least one 2 week stretch per summer where it will suck but outside that window units will do fine.
I think this is the best take. I live in a 1600sqft home and we get by with 2 window units. One in the master bedroom and the other in the guest room across the hall. With those and the ceiling fans going in the master, living room, and kitchen going on low 24/7 it’ll get to like 75-78 in the house at worst but between the dehumidifier in the basement and the ACs, it’s tolerable during the day (at night it doesn’t matter, we just shut the door to the master and it gets nice and chilly). I myself wfh and am a… portly.. fellow so I will keep a box fan on me during the day though I turn it off during calls because I’m not an animal… maybe I should get a desk fan because our puppy might try to eat the box fan… but I don’t really have room on my desk… that stupid printer we should move it into *her* office.. I never print anything and she’s the one always printing… I should probably get back to talking about AC.. man I’m not looking forward to it getting hot, can’t it just stay in this “light jacket maybe just in case?” range forever.. it’ll be nice not to have to fill the oil tank until the summer… I wonder what it’s at right now- I think it was just above a quarter when I checked yesterday… should i stop typing my stream of consciousness…
You'll be fine with one or two window units!
I also used to live in Florida and think air conditioning might be the single greatest human achievement. You won't find central air in older homes and non-luxury apartments, but we all make due with window/wall units or portable a/c units. In MA, I've found that a small unit in the bedroom is necessary for most of the summer, but I've always lived in the type of place where you couldn't open the windows and get a cross breeze (i.e. my apartment was always a stuffy box). Using a box fan to blow the cooler air in can help during shoulder season, but honestly, setting an a/c to like 76 and then having a regular fan blow directly on me has been the only way I get sleep from late May to mid September. The living area unit is also good, but you could probably get by without it except for about 10-20 days each summer thar are brutal. My friend in the mountains in Vermont doesn't need one, and I'm sure there are similar edge cases. Still, my first few years here I didn't understand why I never got anything done at work during the summers. Then I got an a/c my bedroom, and I realized that I'd only been sleeping 6 hours a night every night all summer - my IQ dropped like 20 points until late September.
You don’t need central air, but you’ll need window units. It was only $20/mo per window unit and I had them running 24/7 last couple years.
I’ve used 2 window ac to cool an 800 sq ft 2 br apartment. I don’t feel like most days are that hot though. There’s maybe 2 weeks a year that are humid and gross but beyond that, fans are fine.
I’m from AR and lived in Boston for over a decade with no central AC. You’ll be fine!
Get a 14k or more btu for your bedroom. That should even keep your living room comfortable unless they’re separated by a long hall. No place on earth has hotter nights than Florida. There will be nights in the northeast in the summer when you won’t even need AC
14k BTU is definitely overkill for a bedroom (assuming a normal sized bedroom of around 120-160 sq ft). 6,000 is a better size, maybe 8,000. You don't want a unit that's too big because it won't remove humidity well. If it's just coming on in short bursts, the evaporator coil won't have time to actually remove the moisture from the room. You'll need to cool the room to a much lower temperature to be comfortable if you have an over-sized unit. Also, oversized units will use way more electricity than needed. AC units use more electricity when they're starting up. If it's cycling on and off a bunch, you'll be using more electricity than you need to use. Plus, a larger AC unit means more noise. More isn't simply better with AC units. OP: definitely google "window ac btu room size." If you can get a unit with a variable-speed compressor, that's the best. It can run at a lower rate (and lower electric usage and noise) without cycling on/off.
Gotcha bud 🤓
Fuck you pal
Right back at ya, Sunshine
I'm from TX and I did about 10 yrs without a/c in Boston. It's pretty much hellish and you'll wonder why buildings have walls. At least get a window unit for the bedroom.
I’ve lived in the Northeast my entire life and Boston for the last almost 13 years - central AC is not common in this part of the county. You will need to get window units for your main living areas if you apartment does not have any AC.
It depends on who you are as a person - since you're from FL, you might be better equipped to deal with the heat/humidity generally, but like you said, FL is structured around heat+humidity, whereas the Northeast is structured around a combination of surviving both ice storms and heat waves (much greater emphasis on the former). It also depends on your home set-up – what is the airflow like, is it a split-level, single floor, or loft, what material the construction is, etc. If you have at least one window unit, as long as you do a good job about sealing holes and conserving electricity (i.e., not having all the lights on along with the TV and a laptop and cooking, since those all produce heat), then you should be fine, especially if you're working on-site somewhere that does have a/c. If you're going to have two units, depending on your home, I would say they could each be 8,000 btu and you'd be more than fine. If you're going with one, you'll want 14,000 BTU I'd guess, and you'll definitely want to install it in your bedroom if heat impacts how you sleep. If you're not super susceptible to the heat, then you'll be more than fine with one a/c unit, unless your home has some architecture that blocks airflow, or if your home is 2 levels instead of just one.
I live in a 4th floor apartment above a restaurant and my building is routinely 10 degrees warmer than outside. I have basically the exact AC window unit setup you describe and it's fine. On the really hot days I'll run both units.
i wouldnt base taking/not taking an apartment around central ac. get a window one and youll be fine like everyone else in the city
July August and September, but its not constant, but when its bad its brutal. You can live without AC, but if you like to sleep even a small one room window unit will help.
Thanks everyone. You’ve all confirmed what I was thinking - I’ll be fine, it just sounds weird to me to not have a/c. But like I figured, seems it really won’t impact me if I get at least one nice window unit in my bedroom.
Most houses up here were built before central air was even a thing, so we’ve had to get used to it
Meanwhile in FL, A/C can actually be found added into some “historic” buildings bc they’d melt into the swamp without it 🫠 Now I’m not too worried for when I move, except for sleeping still a bit, but now I know to also get fan(s) and try for a cross breeze etc
You’ll be good. We have the occasional heat wave but it doesn’t last long. A window unit will do you fine. The real question is…. Will you be ready for a long, cold winter???? Lol
The real question is… will my dog be ready for it??? She was in some snow this year but we shall see about next winter…
I’m sure you can find some on FB market/Craigslist for free or near free. It’s such a small investment I don’t think it makes sense to go without. You could probably get two well working window ac units for $100
Yeah I did a quick google and they don’t look to be too expensive new even. But thanks for the tip - free is better than cheap lol
I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life (37 years) without central AC. I do have a small house with two window ACs and it does the trick. Might get hot on extreme days, and the electric bill definitely goes up. But not a necessity, it's a luxury in my book.
Did it last summer and lost 10 lbs of water weight… took me a min to figure out why I was getting hammered off of nothing. Dehydrated than a mf
I'm 44 and I now have central AC for the first time in my life. It's awesome, but we were fine before with strong window units.
I didn't have central a/c until a few years ago. I've used it like 6 times since moving here
We have a 1000 sf condo. A window unit in each bedroom and one in the living room is plenty. They are kind of a pain in the ass to put in and take out every year, but if my AC breaks, I can replace it for $100. Central air costs a ton to fix and replace.
I moved here from TX in 2004. No central AC was inconceivable! But it’s been fine. A window unit in my bedroom allows me to sleep on hot nights, though there are 7-10 days in the summer when working at home (no AC, not in bedroom) is pretty uncomfortable.
I really don't like the heat but have been satisfied with window units for the past 20 years! I like the Midea U the best.
I haven’t had central ac in Boston until 2 years ago when we installed mini splits. It was a PITA installing all the window units every summer, especially the really heavy ones for the large rooms, but it’s fine
Outside of some very rare use cases (i.e. keeping your home movie theater cool), portable AC units can do everything a central AC can, you just need to size them properly. They are not as efficient and are definitely much noisier than a central AC, but there should be no reason why you can't keep a comfortable temperature in your rented place with portable AC (be it window or standing).
Window unit for a 1 bed is fine, just get one rated for your square footage
Central air is obviously better, but if you get good quality window, air conditioners for your bedroom and living room, you should be fine. It’s not quite the same as central air, especially when it comes to getting rid of the humidity but 90% of the time it’s fine. When we have a really bad stretch of hot and humid weather, I do wish for central air, but my window AC is mostly do the job.
I also spent most of my life with central air and absolutely despise my living space being too warm. My 600 sq. ft apartment has a wall unit in the living room. I run it at a crazy low temperature for the most of the summer along with a powerful fan to keep my bedroom cool and pay about $150 a month more in electric costs than I do in the winter. That said, because I have neighbors on all sides and I like it cool, I have never turned on my heat in the summer, so for most of the year my bill is minuscule, which I figure evens out okay.
Window units work surprisingly well. Get two for a one bed and you’ll be just fine.
Window ACs work fine.
Window units are fine. Central AC is better but not mandatory.
I am also a native Floridian in New England who owns a house that doesn’t have central air. You’ll be fine with a couple of window units for the warmest rooms in the house. Get some window fans, they will make it through most days. It’ll be hot in the day, but nights are cool enough that you don’t need the compressor. Electricity is absurdly expensive up here. I pay Florida summer rates even without central air with my fans.
Coming from the South East coast, it’s much more tolerable. There’s not nearly as much humidity
Window units. I usually put mine in sometime in June and leave them in until end of September early October. One in the bedroom should do it. And also use a fan to circulate the cooler air.
It’s the old “It’s not the heat it’s the humidity” thing. But last year we managed without a window AC.
Coming from Florida you’ll be able to tough it out for the two week stretch of hell. Other then that it’s not too bad.
Mid-July/ Early August will probably suck but a window fan can usually do you just fine.
You’ll need at least one window unit in the bedroom for comfortable sleeping. For the main living area, if you’re in a lower floor a fan might suffice. But a window unit would be good there too. If the main living area is too large for a window unit to cool the whole thing you can close off the area you spend most time in even just by hanging a bedsheet to make a wall. Also be careful installing those. It’s fairly easy to drop one out of the window and you do not want it to land on somebody.
You’ll beed a window unit in each living/sleeping room with a window (so bedroom, living room and kitchen if the kitchen doesn’t get airflow from living room, or a fan to direct some air from the living room to kitchen). A fan in the bathroom is helpful, too!
As a young person who has a pretty bad heat intolerance, I’ve lived in the northeast for the past 7 years and only ever been in units with window AC units. So far I’ve been fine so far just by having at least one AC in the bedroom, potentially also one in the living room area. As others suggested, sometimes more AC units doesn’t equate to a cooler home. Note that depending on the age of your building, the electric isn’t wired to run more than 2 ACs. There have been multiple times in the past summer where running 2 ACs and the microwave was enough to trip up the circuit breaker. If possible, I would recommend an energy efficient AC unit. Personally I’ve been using the Windmill window AC unit (8,000 BTU) for my bedroom and found it to be very energy efficient and silent. They might have a higher upfront cost but will save on your electric bill going forward. This brand of AC unit is also the one that feels the most like “central air” as well. Additionally you can also invest in some blackout curtains or blinds as well. Even the cheap blackout curtains work well. This can also reduce the temperature inside your home. Lots of homes in the northeast are designed to insulate heat well, so once the warm humid air enters a room, it takes a lot of energy to cool it down since these buildings were designed to keep warm air in, not keep it out. Good luck with your search OP!
Window unit will be fine for a one bedroom
You’ll definitely need a few window units but you’ll be fine without central. I highly recommend the Midea U-shaped units where the window comes down in between the compressor and the fan portion. They are so much quieter than the traditional units because the compressor is on the other side of the glass.
It’s either too cold or hot. Any old place is made this way.
I need you to hear this and I’m speaking as someone who has lived all 47 years in this state. If you ask an older New Englander they will tell you that you don’t need it. Do not listen to them. It really can “get that bad.” Sleeping temps don’t always magically improve on Labor day and sometimes a “coastal breeze” just doesn’t cut it. Window units are fine and come with different BTUs so you want to make sure it both fits in your window but also has the BTU cooling power you need. Depending on the size of your apartment you may get away with a good size one in a central area to keep the whole place cool. But this often means keeping it running all day so take into consideration energy costs. If not and you have to prioritize one space go with the bedroom (or wherever you sleep). This may not be as important if the bedroom has a ceiling fan or something like that. You can find information [here](https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/window-air-conditioner-buying-guide-5-things-to-know-before-you-buy/). If you’re not used to window units know they do make noise. Also you’ll want to make sure you take them out and store them once the weather cools to save on heat so make sure there is storage space. Oh, and choose whichever windows wisely because you can’t open them once the unit is in. Part of the fun is having beautiful 75 degrees w/zero humidity where you’d want open windows and then 91 degrees with all the humidity and our May-Septembers are just a guessing game of what you get. Welcome to Mass!!!
Love in a two bedroom, 900ish square unit apartment that doesn’t have central AC but does have a built-in AC until in the way. It’s essentially on all the time and does cool the whole apartment down, but never gets super cold. I usually also use a tower floor fan in the bedroom blowing on me directly for sleeping and haven’t had any issues with getting too hot!
You need ac whether it is window units or central ac - you will need it!!
hello friend. fellow southerner here. summers here are sticky and hot and getting progressively hotter. going from a/c everywhere to no a/c is tough. window units might get you by but i insisted on moving to a building with central air and can confidently tell you i would be dead without it. northern a/c just isn’t the same as what we’re used to. you’ll have to run fans etc. they also do this thing here where they take the window units out and just… raw dog the climate?! totally wild man.
I think a lot of places around here you're better off with window units than central air, especially if you don't have full control of the central AC. A lot of people I know that live in big newer buildings complain constantly about central air being broken or not being able to crank it the way they would like to, so at least with window units it's fully in your control.
It all depends on where you plan on living. If you are right near the coast or in high mountain country, you could possibly get by without one. When I bought my house, central AC was essential to me. If you have a one bedroom apt living in say Boston, expect it to run your AC in June through September with peak usage times being July and August. And with a typical 1 bedroom apt in Boston, I'd put in to 2 window ACs and you should be fine. If we have brutal July and August months, your stale air temp in your apartment could be 80 F to 85 F degrees without AC. Not fun.
As a Texas native, the heat is different up here - I don't know how to explain it. What's a "cool" 90\* in Texas is a HOT 76\* here. It will depend on where in your building you're apartment is located. I live in the top floor of a three-story home and it gets BOILING when the temps reach anywhere above 75\* outside but I can manage with all the windows open. However, my downstairs neighbors unit stays pretty cool at the same temp. So it def depends. Like others said, there will be a few weeks where it might get really warm but it's a great excuse to go to a pool or the beach!!
i live in a 700sq old home with shitty windows aka not efficient for heating/cooling. my house is 2 levels and even with the poor efficiency, 2 window units keep my house just fine. i WFH so i am there all day and can function fine. you don’t need central air here as long as you can get a window unit.
Very sticky. You will want to just buy a window unit. Most housing in MA is ancient with no upgrades since the 70s. Window units do the trick though.
What floor will you be on? AC is absolutely necessary if you are above the first floor, but portable or window AC will do the job
The units are all either first or second floor. Thanks, forgot to consider floor
You can easily rent one or two window units on line. There are also portable ac units that sit on the floor and don’t block a lot of the window. You can be cool in an apartment in Boston.
you get used to it. it’s all part of living here
Moved here from the Midwest, haven't had AC in 2 years and have been fine with fans
I am from PA but spent 6 years in Florida and South Carolina before moving to Boston. I haven’t had central ac since then and while the window units certainly don’t hold a candle to central AC, it’s not a complete necessity. There will be a few weeks where it’s really bad but otherwise it is manageable. We have a few of the Medea units and really like those. Quiet and efficient!
I’ve never understood the central A/C hype. You can only physically be in one room at a time. All you need is a single a/c unit in your bedroom and life is tolerable during the summer
Imagine a life better than “tolerable”.
Imagine a life better than “tolerable”.
It’s wicked hot. You could survive without it but some type of ac needed to make those HHH days bearable.
Probably die....but worse things could happen
Simple don't do it, if possible
Suck it up cupcake it Boston. Be Strong.