Palo Alto is never hot enough for an AC though. At least in my experience. It does get hot, but not totally unbearable.
Today at lunch with a friend in Palo Alto, we measured 106°F at our table in the shade. We ate outdoors because the cafe had no A/C and was intolerable.
Even on a normal warm day, so many Palo Alto restaurants are uncomfortably hot inside because of no A/C and poor ventilation. Especially the places that face south or west!
Yup. Many restaurant owners: penny-wise, pound-foolish
It was 106 ℉ today in Palo Alto. Maybe you wait until it's 121?
When I was a kid living in Palo Alto I remember a day when it was 107 degrees. I think it was 1971.
You definitely don't need AC in Mountain View.
Source: Haven't turned it on.
You're making an invalid, hasty generalization from ancedotal evidence. A ground-floor apartment or shaded house is not the same thing as a flat-roofed, unshaded, uninsulated, top floor apartment.
Well yes, if you build your house to need AC then you will need AC. Probably also lots of heat in the winter. So do the smart thing.