The streets of Harlem are full of life in the summer. Young people stroll around in shorts and t-shirts. The elderly of El Barrio leave their houses in the afternoon to get some fresh air. Some places are always cold, like reading rooms in the Public Library or the Casa Blanca Butcher Shop on 110th st. Surprisingly, in other areas where the air conditioner doesn't need to be that cold, they keep it below 20ºC. Offices, shops, places for tourists--everywhere is cold. Experts say the best sleep temperature is between 19º and 22ºC, but I'm not sure they mean an artificial temperature. The indoor temperature must always be related to the natural temperature.
I like setting the house's thermostat to 26º when the temperature outside is over 30º. Yes, that causes the house to feel a bit warm inside. When winter comes, I'll set the thermostat to 18ºC. Indeed I will have to put on a light sweater inside the house.
Perhaps many people consider this not comfortable, but it is reasonable and even healthy since there are no drastic changes in temperature outdoors and indoors. The lower energy consumption is beneficial. You spend less on gas and electricity and help mitigate global warming.
Let me add another more personal reason. It may not be comfortable to feel hot, but it's nice. The heat increases the consumption of water, decreases carbohydrates, and produces a lot of chemical substances in the body that stimulate good humor, passion, and the wish to dance. When the cold comes, I'll enjoy wearing a sweater, drinking hot chocolate, and reading while my cats are all over me. Feeling the change in weather makes us more human. Can you imagine how boring it would be in a place where the temperature is the same all year? I have read that there is a little town in Ecuador where the climate is, on average, 19ºC, with variations that never exceed two degrees. Of course, people live longer here. It is a comfortable place, although you never enjoy the snow in winter or the pleasure of sweat when it evaporates on your skin.