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I've heard that air conditioning had an effect on culture, too. Before A/C, you'd sit out on your porch to cool off and as a consequence get to know your neigh

I've heard that air conditioning had an effect on culture, too. Before A/C, you'd sit out on your porch to cool off and as a consequence get to know your neighbors. After A/C, you'd retreat indoors and live a socially isolated life.

maw 15y ago
I live in a relatively wealthy part of Mexico City. I don't know my neighbors, and, for the most part, I don't think that they know each other either. Nobody here has air conditioning or proper heating. The climate is very benign, rarely getting hot or cold. There's little need for interior climate control, and even less insulation: windows are paper thin and don't shut very tight, among other things. (However, a lot of people do have small portable electric heaters, which are very inefficient to begin with and made more so by the lack of insulation.) Maybe having or not having AC plays a role as to whether you get to know your neighbors, but it's not the only and certainly not the defining one. Television and not working where you live are, I suspect, far more important.
- chopsueyar 15y ago
  What type of internet connectivity is available in your area? How much is housing/cost-of-living expenses?
  - maw 15y ago
    It's adequate to work remotely, at least if you don't need to upload large amounts of data often. As to cost of living in general, that's the kind of question that sounds very simple but turns out to have a rather complex answer. Get in touch (see the contact info in my profile) you're interested.
- WildUtah 15y ago
  When I lived in Colonia Roma (not wealthy but higher than average Mexico City income), I knew all my neighbors and I'm a typical programmer introvert. The air conditioning and heating situation was the same. Knowing your neighbors has less to do with air conditioning and more to do with personal motorcar ownership. None of my neighbors owned cars. Of course, really wealthy neighborhoods in Mexico have tall concrete walls with broken glass embedded in the top around every house. That keeps the neighbors from getting too friendly.
billpaetzke 15y ago
Air conditioners and automobiles--isolating Americans from each other.
dctoedt 15y ago
Most of Houston was without electrical power during the week following Hurricane Ike (and for many Houstonians it was even longer). Our house has a backyard gas grill that's hooked into the natural gas line, and we never lost gas. Pretty much every evening during that week, the neighbors gathered to grill stuff, with everyone sharing. Then we sat around on the patio and 'visited' until bedtime, lighting candles when it got dark. We have fond memories of those times.

maw 15y ago

I live in a relatively wealthy part of Mexico City. I don't know my neighbors, and, for the most part, I don't think that they know each other either. Nobody here has air conditioning or proper heating. The climate is very benign, rarely getting hot or cold. There's little need for interior climate control, and even less insulation: windows are paper thin and don't shut very tight, among other things. (However, a lot of people do have small portable electric heaters, which are very inefficient to begin with and made more so by the lack of insulation.) Maybe having or not having AC plays a role as to whether you get to know your neighbors, but it's not the only and certainly not the defining one. Television and not working where you live are, I suspect, far more important.

chopsueyar 15y ago
What type of internet connectivity is available in your area? How much is housing/cost-of-living expenses?
- maw 15y ago
  It's adequate to work remotely, at least if you don't need to upload large amounts of data often. As to cost of living in general, that's the kind of question that sounds very simple but turns out to have a rather complex answer. Get in touch (see the contact info in my profile) you're interested.
WildUtah 15y ago
When I lived in Colonia Roma (not wealthy but higher than average Mexico City income), I knew all my neighbors and I'm a typical programmer introvert. The air conditioning and heating situation was the same. Knowing your neighbors has less to do with air conditioning and more to do with personal motorcar ownership. None of my neighbors owned cars. Of course, really wealthy neighborhoods in Mexico have tall concrete walls with broken glass embedded in the top around every house. That keeps the neighbors from getting too friendly.

billpaetzke 15y ago

Air conditioners and automobiles--isolating Americans from each other.

dctoedt 15y ago

Most of Houston was without electrical power during the week following Hurricane Ike (and for many Houstonians it was even longer). Our house has a backyard gas grill that's hooked into the natural gas line, and we never lost gas. Pretty much every evening during that week, the neighbors gathered to grill stuff, with everyone sharing. Then we sat around on the patio and 'visited' until bedtime, lighting candles when it got dark. We have fond memories of those times.