Tips to keep my apartment cool during the summer PLEASE HELP?

How do I keep the upstairs of my apartment cool in the summer?

• I live in a rental "town home"/ apartment thats over 30 years old. I'm new here and am realizing that it gets incredibally hot upsatirs and is almost unbearable mid day during the warmer months. There's no lighting on the ceiling itself where I can install ceiling fans up there and window AC units aren't allowed. To make it worse, the AC vents are on the floor right in front of the windows, so the warm air is probably cancelling out any cool air this is coming thru. Management said the are taking bids on newer more efficeint windows to be installed, which would help out a lot. For now, I have energy efficent curtains in the Master BR and am preparing to put some in the other BR. Luckily, summer is winding down here in VA, but we have at least 3-4 more weeks in the 80's or so. I see mixed reviews on portable AC units, but still may consider. Any other suggestions please?

• Answer:

  Having been in a situation similar to Yours, I ameliorated the problem somewhat- by placing several cheap window fans -blowing OUTWARD on the South Side of my Apartment- while opening all the Windows on the rooms facing North. This pulls IN the naturally cooler air one always finds on the shady N. side of a building- while the fans are blowing the accumulated warm air in the Apt- Out the south facing windows ! This works particularly well during the Day- when a nice breeze tends to set up across the Apt- as cooler Air flows IN & warmer Air is sucked out !!! Give it a try- & see what happens... :)