Home Heating Requirements Are in Effect

See Speaker Quinn's email from October 1st below:


Dear New Yorker,

The cold weather season is here! Home heating requirements are now in effect from October 1st to May 31st.

You are entitled to receive heat at night between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. if the temperature outside drops below 40 degrees, and during the day between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. if the temperature outside drops below 55 degrees.

If your landlord is not providing heat, you can file a complaint by calling 311 (for the hearing impaired TTY (212) 504-4115). Filing your complaint promptly will help document that you didn't receive heat on a specific day/time. A New York City Code Enforcement inspector will investigate your complaint and will either issue a building violation or order emergency repairs to restore the services if they find the owner is not providing them.

If you need assistance, please contact Carlos Carino of my staff at (212) 788-9121. You can also e-mail him directly at CCarino@council.nyc.gov.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council

Heat Wave Tips

Our second heat wave is upon us. Here are some suggestions from the last one. One difference is that the OEM has a few cooling centers open in our area. Check where your closest one is by visiting their website, or by calling 311. Their page also have some additional tips for staying cool and beating the heat and warning signs of heat stroke and other heat related ailments.

Remember that libraries, grocery stores, and big stores (Target, CostCo) will be cool and relatively interesting as places to wander around. Also, a visit to the Brooklyn Museum (or any museum) is cool and large. They also have that fun fountain that kids love to watch (but can't go in to).

If you have neighbors or family who are elderly, have trouble getting out of the house, or don't have air conditioning, give them a call or stop by. Asking for help is a tough thing for a lot of people, even to the point of physical danger.

Don't forget the Sunset Pool, the sprinklers in various parks, and

Staying Cool

Being the natural nerd that I am, I can't help you with your Hipster Coolness Quotient. Sorry. However, a friend has been having trouble dealing with the heat sans Air Conditioning (this weekend is ROUGH!), and I thought I'd pass along ideas and some links that have pretty decent tips.

Personal faves:
For daytime, I always carry my fan from Granada. I love that thing. I like to pretend I'm still living in Spain and stick the handle in my bra strap like the Abuelas did. However, you can also pick one up from any HealthPlus kiosk, or any place that's handing out free stuff, really. They are also quite effective - although they aren't as easy to stick in a bra strap.

Also for daytime, the playgrounds with water features should be squirting the water any day it's over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I believe they are supposed to stay on until dusk. Rappaport (toddler friendly), Owl's Head, Sunset Park, and Slope Park all have water features. Garfield is great for toddlers, but it's farther away.

Obvious solutions for daytime also include visiting Atlantic Center (or your grocer's freezer section) and using their AC. The grocery can get a little awkward after a while, however, and any children you have with you will get very restless. Atlantic Center (notice the initials) is better because you can move from one large consumer delight to another. The library works too, if it's open.

For sleeping, you need different ideas. I love fans. I didn't have an AC for a long, long time, and my standing, oscillating fan still allowed me to sleep. No, they don't lower temperatures, but it sure feels good. Also, cooling off the inside of your wrists works really well. That and the temples. On really bad nights, wet your head. Those of us with lots of hair can benefit from this longer, and I suggest a towel or two under your head. Your pillow may suffer, but it works.

Here are some handy links:

From Wiki-Land.

From Environmentally Conscious Land.

Find a cooling center. (They are usually senior centers in downtown Brooklyn. None near Sunset Park at this time.)