The Tabard Inn vs 91 Howe

Chaucer's pilgrims, 29 in total (if you thought 30, you've been terribly misinformed), gathered in Southwerk, an area south of the London Bridge, at a place called Tabard Inn. While I've never had the privilege of Medieval lodging, I think Tabard could give this "modern" apartment here in New Haven a run for it's money.

The apartment consists of one large living area with a kitchen nook, a bed nook, and a bathroom. When I arrived to discover that the bed nook received no circulation from the lone window fan, I promptly moved it to the center of the living room. Now my bed and my couch are one-in-the-same. The few hours I spend at home each day are spent perched on the couch in front of the Mac or a volume of Medieval text or sprawled on the bed attempting to sleep. However, even with direct flow of air, this little room is still quite balmy, and sleep has been more a bane for me than it is under normal circumstances. A few of my colleagues who also had the fortune to find sublets instead of dorm housing have purchased small window AC units to aide in their suffering. Seeing as how all expenditures during this educational experience should be tax-deductible, I may follow suit.

The kitchen is even more abysmal than the living room. The stove-top smokes up the entire room. Not that I plan to do much cooking, especially in this heat, but it would be nice to be able to boil mac and cheese without alerting the New Haven fire department. My landlord forgot to clean out the microwave before he left for the summer, so it poses a health risk. The freezer won't freeze the water in the ice cube tray. For those of you who know me well and understand my addiction to ice water, this is the greatest travesty of them all. I frequent the coffee shop on the corner twice a day for ice. So far, they've let me do this for free. I wonder when they'll notice and start charging me? (I've also purchased a 6 pack of bottled water that I refill and chill in the fridge, but it should come as no surprise to note that the fridge isn't that cold.)

I've made the bed nook into a walk-in closet that would make Carrie Bradshaw jealous. Right... And the pressure in the shower is amazing. After a night of sweating on the bed-couch, the shower is an excellent way to start the day.

But what about Tabard Inn? Most likely, the couch would have been a wooden plank, smoothed by years of use but still not as comfortable as my bed-couch. As for the bed, this IKEA mattress is heaven compared to the trussing beds of Medieval times. Based upon the merriment, the food and beverage options at Tabard Inn supersed that of my new home, but I do not have to venture far to find cold beverages and hearty meals at Yale's local eateries. (I am a slightly over a block away from Rudy's, the home of great pomme frites and burgers, and of course Blue Moon.)

And, this little sublet is nearly $1400.00 cheaper than the dorm accommodations. It's really not that bad at all. (But next time, I'll sublet from a female.)