Legendary Lower East Side performance artist, poet, Elf Girl, and curator of the Troll Museum, Reverend Jen Miller has been evicted from her apartment, which also doubles as the museum.
In recent days, a city marshal entered Miller's apartment, where she was dressed in only a towel from the shower, and reportedly told Jen he wished he had a gun to deal with her. Video of the event has been posted to Facebook.
Misrahi Realty is her landlord. Sion Misrahi has had a major hand in changing the culture--and the residents, and the rents--of the Lower East Side. As he told the Times in 2007, "We decided to rent to bars and restaurants who would bring in the hipsters and change the neighborhood."
photo by Mr. E
Today, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the Troll Museum will be dismantled.
All are invited to help "pack up one of the last magical places left in this fucking greedy city," in the words of the invitation.
photo by Mr. E
Reverend Jen shares a press release on her Facebook page in which she explains her case and adds:
"The Lower East Side used to be a great neighborhood but has now turned into the greediest shitshow on earth. The Troll Museum was one of the final holdouts of bohemian culture. Now is your chance to get pictures of Downtown's little gems. It's been featured on television all over the world, in magazines and newspapers. But if everything is not removed by 4 PM today, it will be destroyed. So, come get it and help bohemia kiss the Lower East Side Goodbye."
She is also asking for any legal help. You can contact her via email at: revjen12@yahoo.com
Looks like the video was removed; I'm not on Facebook, so I can't investigate further.
ReplyDeleteVideo's there--but it's on Facebook. I don't know how to capture it from there.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were a tweet button for each blog post.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem she hasn't paid any rent in a year... Hard to believe she didn't get any notice before the Marshall showed up.
ReplyDeleteThere is a tweet button on every post--see "share" at the bottom
ReplyDeleteI see it now on the Web version. Not showing up on the mobile vers for me anyway.
DeleteIt's been proven that there was a scheduled court date and that the papers served were in error. The video shows two huge guys standing over the 100 pound (if that) RevJen, wrapped in towel, since she was showering at the time they illegally broke her door down. One of them is laughing at her and admitting that he had commented that "he wished he had a gun." Apparently, he found the situation very amusing. This is a disgusting display of incompetency, disrespect, and abuse.
ReplyDeleteShe had plenty of time to pay or at least try to pay. Being an artist doesn't for you the right to live rent free for a year. In a rent stabilized apartment no less! Yes the LES is changing, no artists don't get special dispensation to simply not pay rent.
ReplyDelete