Surviving a NYC summer without AC, improving indoor air quality, & more

This week, readers clicked on a tale of a renter who braved multiple New York City summers without an air conditioner before finally breaking down and buying one. But she didn’t just sit there and suffer—she had a strategy for dealing with the heat, so check out her tips if you lack AC too.

The smoke from the Canadian wildfires was one of the big reasons she bought an AC. And that’s a tip in another popular post this week on how to maintain healthy air inside your apartment: Not only does AC help keep you cool, it also cycles the air in your space. Did you know that air conditioners do not pull in air from the outside? Me neither.

Here are this week's top five posts:  

1) I survived NYC without AC for three years. Here’s why I finally caved

2) Manhattan co-op and condo sales fall 39 percent but the slowdown is not as bad as it seems

3) 5 ways to improve the air quality inside your NYC apartment

4) How to check your NYC apartment building's ratings—or rate your own place

5) What you can get for $1 million in Brooklyn Heights, an iconic waterfront nabe with skyline views and quick commutes