Google Maps borders for Kensington show it including much of what is considered Fishtown and excludes West Kensington. GDP . West Kensington is similar to Norris Square and Fairhill in that it has a similar demographic to most of Kensington while having a more North Central Philadelphia identity,[citation needed] but unlike the other two neighborhoods it remains certainly part of Kensington. More simply, some define Kensington as the triangular area bounded by Erie Avenue to the north, Front Street (and sometimes Fifth Street) to the West, and Trenton Avenue to the East. In addition to having a high rate of drug overdose deaths, 80% of Philadelphia's overdose deaths involved opioids, and Kensington is a significant contributor to this figure. The case was dropped in July. Even more concerning are the fetishizations of the corridor, which go something like this: Yes its bad, but it can be fun to visit because its bad. [40] In Kensington, most residents have opposed the plans and organized against the site being located in Kensington, including leaders of five civic organizations in the area. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Parks in and adjacent to the neighborhood include Harrowgate Park, McPherson Square, Hope Park, Fairhill Square Park, Norris Square Park, Mascher Park, Frankford Avenue Garden, Arcadia Commons, Trenton and Auburn Park, Letterly Green, Emerald Park, Konrad Square, and Palmer Park. I cant just arrest someone for hanging out on a stoop looking like theyre high on drugs., Even if Philadelphia hasnt officially decriminalized drug use in Kensington, the citys addicts are well aware that this is a place where they can get high without police harassment. Since Mayor Jim Kenney took office in 2015, encampment closures in the name of public health and safety have been a near constant in Kensington. Sections of the neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing drug addiction and/or homelessness. The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons' Franklin Flint Glass Works, 1700-06 N. Howard Street (1876). Kensington belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. But since Januarywhen 22-year-old Antonio Rodriguez, a PCP-smoking petty drug dealer from the notorious adjoining Badlands neighborhood, was arrested and charged with the murdersaddicts say that police have retreated, leaving them to do their drugs in relative peace. Skidrownews July 1, 2021 12:21 pm Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington Philadelphia Drug & Crime Problems Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . No one denies this. "The blocks [where drug dealing takes place] never closed," said Christine Russo, 38, who's been using heroin for seven years. Fairhill and Norris Square are separate from Kensington with a more central North Philadelphia identity; however, exactly where the neighborhoods separate is subject to much debate and there are people within both neighborhoods who identify with Kensington. Philadelphia's most dangerous street.Problems with Drugs and Crime in Kensington Ave, PhiladelphiaIn Philadelphia as a whole, violent crime and drug abuse are major issues. This section of Philadelphia is considered the center of opioid drug use and the city and community are working to bring the crisis under control.Read more ANTHONY PEZZOTTI / Staff Photographer Two emergency shelters closed along Kensington Avenue within the last year. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. Nobody rousts or arrests the line of addicts nodded out in full view in the gutter. Jackie is missing. Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. You cant walk down the sidewalk, he said. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. Answer (1 of 3): Kensington is the dark side of Western Industrialized society. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. Its a scene that will look familiar to viewers of HBOs The Wire, an episode of which, titled Hamsterdam, showed Baltimore police effectively legalizing drugs within an established zone of an infested neighborhood. McKinney, of the New Kensington CDC, said the successful rehousing services touted by officials during these clearouts 10 people here, 20 people there are modest in the scope of the crisis. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 10K 1.4M views 1 year ago #SBCNews. The avenue runs on a north/south slant and unofficially includes the neighborhoods of Kensington, East and West Kensington, Fairhill, Port Richmond, and Olde Richmond. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. City workers arrived in the early hours to clear out two homeless encampments the latest dustup in a years-long saga in Kensington and try to get the roughly 50 people living there into housing or recovery services. Kensington was originally a blue collar neighborhood that thrived on the factories built there. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. Crack, meth, heroin, oxycodone, weed, percocet, PCP these are all the usual suspects around Kensington Ave. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Answer (1 of 7): I live and minister here as a pastor. We have four outreach teams out in Kensington every day. The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. He adds that the department does the best it can to guarantee public safety and stop drug use with the resources it has, but that it cant lock up people without good reason. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Eva Gladstein, Philadelphias deputy managing director for Health and Human Services, said outreach teams have helped more than 20 people connect with social services during the last month of engagement at the two targeted camps, plus an additional four people on Wednesday morning. "Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. https://t.co/6BCbZ2KEZv via @YouTube these people are not crazy this how just living . Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). Addicts say. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. Additionally, 65.8%, almost two thirds, of Kensington residents can be described financially as "poor or struggling" (defined by a Ratio of Income in 2020 to Poverty Level of under 2.00). When resources are limited, you get to a point as a police officer where you ask yourself, Why am I doing something ineffective? says former Maryland State Police officer Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of criminal-justice professionals who favor drug-law reform. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. History set Kensington up for a steady decline. Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. Multiple people injured after crash in Kensington. Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis, Palmer purchased what was called the Fairman Estate, located along the Delaware River in the Northern Liberties Township (area just north of the City of Philadelphia on the . [35][citation needed]. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since. In the early 19th century, Kensington transitioned to iron and steel manufacturing[11] and became home to a variety of factories, potteries, and machine works. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. The square is home to the neighborhoods library, many of whose bookkeepers regularly run out with Narcan to help prevent overdoses. Safehouse, a nonprofit founded in 2018 with the purpose of opening the first supervised injection site in the country, sought a location in Kensington after their proposed South Philly location ran into opposition from neighbors of the site. . Because of the high number of drugs in Kensington, the neighborhood has a drug crime rate of 3.57, the third-highest rate by neighborhood in Philadelphia.3 Like a lot of the country, a big part of this issue is a result of the opioid epidemic. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. Longtime neighborhood residents, business owners, and some elected officials have been pushing Mayor Kenneys administration to fix the untenable living conditions especially those brought by widespread homelessness. They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. This Philadelphia neighborhood is said to have the largest open-air heroin market on the East Coast, with many neighbors migrating to the area for heroin and other opioids. The intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues (commonly referred to by Philadelphians as "K & A") is a major transportation and retail hub in the Kensington neighborhood, as it is served by the Frankford Elevated portion of the MarketFrankford Line which, running on top of Kensington Avenue, dominates the intersection. There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. The decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. [59] [60]. Philadelphia is known for its rich history, cheesesteak, and love for the Eagles. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. kensington ave philadelphia - summer daytime compilation GDPGDP Some, such as the second location for the Baltimore Avenue-based Vientiane Cafe, are just getting started. The few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. would never let this happen in whiter, more affluent parts, New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), Phillys hot podcast studio: How two longtime producers are growing the citys audio scene, Tax cuts, a new forensic lab, library service, hotspot help: Takeaways from Mayor Kenneys final city budget proposal, Meet the 10 entrepreneurs vying set up shop inside Philly rec centers, A real art project at Quinta Brunsons former school in West Philly mirrors the Abbott Elementary Mural Arts episode, Former Councilmember Bobby Henon sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for taking bribes, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Along with its teeming trade in illicit materials, Kensington is also a highly dangerous neighborhood. It happened Monday around 10:40 p.m. on the. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Kensington (the Heart of Kensington), Harrowgate, Lower Kensington, West Kensington. Before the Act of Consolidation, 1854, the Kensington District included portions of the neighborhoods known today as Olde Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, and Fishtown, with its northern border at Lehigh Avenue. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. PHILADELPHIA - Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ricardo Carrion, a.k.a. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. "[12][13][14], Deindustrialization eventually took hold in the neighborhood in the 1950s, leading to a significant population loss, high unemployment, economic decline, and abandoned homes. [10], By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in carpet. 2 Kensington's high crime rate and drug abuse contribute significantly to Philadelphia's problems.Because of the high number of drugs in the neighborhood, Kensington has the third-highest drug crime rate by neighborhood in Philadelphia, at 3.57. Butterworth and Sons Company Building, Kensington Corridor Trust Community Garden, community development financial institution, Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High School, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania", "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Beatty's Mills Factory Building", "Coral Street Arts House - NKCDC - An income based apartment for artists", "Insane Surge in Philadelphia Gentrification", "PhilaPlace - The Kensington Riots of 1844", "Maps make you wonder, what is Fishtown? While Kensington is still the centralized location in Philadelphia for buying and using drugs, some community members, like Bingham, don't believe the neighborhood is the ideal place to get treatment and maintain recovery. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible "tent cities" that grew along a series of underpasses. City personnel help to clear an encampment on the 3200 block of Kensington Avenue, raze a large-scale encampment known as El Campamento, after SEPTA briefly closed the Somerset El stop. [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. Kensington and Cambria. They were en route to more serious crimes going down to the west in the Badlands. This is Kensington Ave my friend. Xany bars are 2mg Xanax pills, the strongest dosage, often used with Suboxone to give users a heroin-like half-consciousness. Rule 2 does not apply when replying to this stickied comment.. Rule 2 does apply throughout the rest of this thread.. What this means: Please keep any "meta" discussion directed at specific users, mods, or r/conspiracy in general in this comment chain only.. Speaking as someone coming from this field, it can be unforgiving and thirsty work, defined by small victories and glorious defeats. On the night we visited, police cars cruised past, their lights flashing, but never stopped. A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. But we cant do this until the federal government changes its stance on prohibition., Lt. Ray Evers has a harsh retort for Franklin and his reform-minded law-enforcement ilk. While most of the large manufacturers have left, the area has many small shops and large renovated factories and warehouses for newer artisans to set up shop. Kim Gary shared a video drive-through of Kensington that will leave you speechless that city Democrats are ignoring the real problems in their city. However, some sections of the neighborhood have been revitalized in recent years, especially those near Frankford Avenue, Kensington's neighbor south of Lehigh Avenue, and Fishtown, another traditionally working-class neighborhood which has seen rents increase. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. Once it hit rock bottom, the need for an outlet brought more people in. These merchants do not need your pity, they want your business, and they deserve to be taken seriously. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. From there, drug dens sprung up across the neighborhood and allowed for gangs to breed in the area. Hate crime charges for Hatboro woman who launched racist rant against Amys Pizzeria, Temple faculty still deciding on no confidence vote, Philly City Council considers moving budget hearings to in-person. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. However, sensationalizing poverty, fetishizing small businesses, and minimizing the collective efforts of a community on the rise are the cheap tactics of bad journalists. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. It is known for pawn shops and check-cashing joints. Parents will walk their children to the bus stop, even if it can be seen from their front door, and wait there with them until the bus comes. (Instead of a paywall). The city sees hope in this kind of intervention. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. City Managing Director Tumar Alexander, who oversees the police response in Kensington, said there will be a zero tolerance policy for new encampments on the two targeted blocks. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. But Gladstein said many people remain shelter resistant for various reasons and the number of emergency beds near Kensington where people actively use drugs is limited. If he wants them to get treatment so bad, how about I round up all these junkies in Kensington and put them in his neighborhood?. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Palmer laid out his town and sold parcels to many of the shipwrights and shipbuilders who were outgrowing their riverfront lots in present-day Old City, Southwark, and Society Hill areas. The neighborhood also recently has seen a large influx of primarily white young urban professionals and gentrification, particularly in Fishtown[3] which is no longer considered to be Kensington and in Olde Kensington, Norris Square, and East Kensington. Kensington and Somerset. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. Kensington Independent Civic Association), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 14:40. The increase in violent crime, homelessness, and out-of-control drug use in Kensington are far greater threats to residents of Philadelphia. The neighborhood has long been a catchment for people from the suburbs, Delaware and New Jersey who suffer from addiction, and yet the city has been left on its own to clean up the mess. This Philly neighborhood is purportedly the largest open-air narcotics market for heroin on the East Coast with many neighboring residents flocking to the area for heroin and other opioids.4 With such a high number of drugs in Kensington, many state and local officials have zoned in on this area to try and tackle Philadelphias problem. Re: Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Building a Philadelphia that works for every neighborhood with a focus on equity, opportunity, efficiency, and inclusion. Most encampment residents had moved out from the former site before Wednesday morning. The whole city, its always a battle for space, and any open space is going to get filled., Love Philly? It is not safe . [32][failed verification] The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. The stranglers final victim, a prostitute named Casey Mahoney, was murdered here. Kensington Avenue also benefits from the non-profit organizations operating there. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. 0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. During my career I concluded we werent making a dent in drug addiction or related crime. The Daily Beast spent a night at this open-air market for pills and needles, talking to users and prostitutes about whats come to pass for normalcy in Kensington: hard-core drug use without police interference. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. Well probably have a detail stationed [there], Alexander said. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. In 2017 developers Shift Capital, in partnership with NKCDC, IMPACT Services Corporation, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce launched the innovative Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge. Addictions a medical problem; cops dont want to deal with that. These territorial disputes happen in clear daylight, theres no concern for the repercussions. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Two smiling beat cops dressed in crisp, pressed uniforms foot-patrolled the areas perimeter but steered clear of the crowds around Somerset Street. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50% from 2013 to 2015, with more than twice as many deaths from drug overdoses as deaths from homicides in 2015.2 A big part of Philadelphias problems stem from the crime rate and drug abuse in Kensington. Ironically, even some addicts on Kensington Avenue dont believe in legalization. Worse than plain heroin. Ever since the strangler, addict Will Sims says, we do everything out in the open and the cops are cool with it. Several other addicts out here concur: The reason for all the bustle is that Kensington Avenue has become a drug-bust-free zone. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas.1 Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. The right to shop locally in your community is enjoyed by most Philadelphia residents, and Kensingtonians are taking their corridor back. Fishtown, formerly a small subsection of Kensington, has transformed with a new population of more college educated white people as well as increased investment from real estate developers. [48], In 2011 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the closures of three Kensington Catholic schools, as their student numbers had declined: Ascension of Our Lord, St. Anne, and St. Hugh of Cluny.[49]. Last month, the city announced plans to clear out two of the larger encampments: one just north of K&A, the other about a mile south on Lehigh Avenue. Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a "hellscape." Kensington Avenue's ghoulish world of addiction and prostitution exists outside the law. That camp was cleared, and another formed. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. Documentary by SBC News covering Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave.Philadelphia's most dangerous street.Problems with Drugs and Crime in Kensington Ave, PhiladelphiaIn Philadelphia as a whole, violent crime and drug abuse are major issues. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. In his first budget, the Mayor worked closely with City Council to fund bold anti-poverty initiatives. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Not by the thousands who call it home and certainly not by the merchants who, every day, open their businesses. Its how we live. Folks are going to migrate to wherever they can go, McKinney said. Drug dealers at the corners. Nine years later and were still talking about it. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. [10] Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. It happened shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday in the area of Fairhill Square Park at 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue. The area is densely residential, but crime rates are highest in this part of Kensington and, because of relocation actions taken by Philadelphia's Police,[7][8] it has the highest concentration of homeless and opioid addicted residents. Corridor vacancy, lower costs of real estate, and dedicated community groups and entrepreneurs make for an attractive location. February 28, 2023 Police seek person who cut Comcast lines on Super Bowl Sunday, causing panic among Eagles fans Approximately 17,000 Xfinity customers in Fishtown and Kensington were affected by . Kensington Hospital for Women, 128-40 Diamond Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles, 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. Second Associate Presbyterian Church, 1523-25 N. Front Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (185254). civic associations and business alliances, which instills hope that development will be inclusive. Disinvestment and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some sections of the neighborhood, catalyzing several grassroots actions from its residents. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are searching for two suspects who are wanted in connection with a violent carjacking earlier this week. Estimates vary between 300 and 650 people living on the street. Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Read more ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer by Alfred Lubrano Published Aug 5, 2021 The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. The government has shown attempts at trying. But this is an ongoing process. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. [39], The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. Were trying to make sure people are attaching to services rather than moving, Gladstein said. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. Johnson knowseven with a colorful awning and bright lightingher cafe might not get a lot of consumer street traffic. Subs and Xany bars, subs and Xany bars, chant men in cockeyed baseball caps while pacing the corner, searching the crowd for potential customers. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. Kensington has always been a rough area since before the 70s. Kensington was previously known for its large working class Irish Catholic community and was the site of the Philadelphia Nativist Riots in the 19th century. In the absence of a larger plan, he was certain those encampments would grow in the coming weeks. Days before the start of the New Year, the 16-year-old girl from the Philadelphia suburbs disappears for the third time in four months as she battles a heroin addiction that . Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). Not everyone who takes advantage of the trade on Kensington Ave lives nearby, though. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. At stake in all this, is the soul of a place where Philadelphians have made a living, shopped and socialized for generations. Views Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Kensington has traditionally been known as one of the working class centers of Philadelphia. More by Max Marin. Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there.