Ms. Jones grew up in Texas, where people went from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned stores or offices, and back again.

The Mall was ahead, its air-conditioned stores tempting.

Sally and I staggered through the heat into the air-conditioned store.

"I just keep going into air-conditioned stores," she said, taking expensive refuge at the Manolo Blahnik boutique just off Fifth Avenue.

"We've gone in and out of every air-conditioned store on Fordham Road to escape the heat," said Lissette Dehoyos, a 25-year-old housewife who had just bought two fans.

For instance, a comfortable and air-conditioned store with posted prices usually do not allow bargaining, but a stall in a bazaar or marketplace may.

Some wanted only to walk through air-conditioned stores.

Stores are less crowded than after Labor Day, it's easier to find a sales person and air-conditioned stores are cool oases amid steaming pavements.

In 1936, the five-level store became the first fully air-conditioned store in Texas, and the store became known as "The Big Store."

I tried on a silky, but even in an air-conditioned store, I could see it would be uncomfortably hot.