It's in heat waves like this that I wonder why I'm living in NYC and not on the sandy soils of somewhere far far away, or next to a lake surrounded by old pine trees. Of course, I'm not going to move, because my whole raison d'etre is to create the pine forest within the city. So, if we're bringing nature back into the city through planting native species in backyards, rail road lines, and rooftops, can't we also create a natural lake or something in our backyards? There are few outdoor pools in the city, and probably none that offer the serenity and natural settings that I crave. One outdoor pool is right next to the 3500 SF green roof we just installed on Pitt Street in the Lower East Side, the historic Hamilton Fish Park
is only one out of 54 outdoor pools in the city's parks. According to the parks dept. website the pools officially open on June 29th and close on Labor Day. Other more luxurious / unusual options got me excited. Check out some of what I found on the web:
Some of these pools are experiments with dumpsters in a Brooklyn lot and others are high-end sustainable pools using plants to filter out bacteria as opposed to chlorine. I don't know how much any of these pools would cost or how feasible they are for the average New Yorker with outdoor space, but if I had an inch of property to my name I would be investigating the options.
Other ways to stay cool: some ways to stay cool indoors is to keep the curtains drawn and the windows closed during the day and then open all the windows at night letting in the cooler temp. night air in. Our eco minded office doesn't have AC but we do have over ten fans going at once. Ceiling fans are a must. Also good, if possible, is to grow an enormous tree next to your building to create shade.
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