Answer (1 of 3): Kensington is the dark side of Western Industrialized society. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. 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. Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] The generally accepted boundaries of the neighborhood[citation needed] are Front Street and 5th Street to the West, the Amtrak train tracks to the North, Trenton Avenue, the Trenton Avenue train tracks, and Frankford Avenue to the East, and Cecil B. Moore Avenue to the South. Groups of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. McPherson Square is the heart of Kensington. Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Kensington (the Heart of Kensington), Harrowgate, Lower Kensington, West Kensington. This train starts at Bridge st. From Frankford , Juanita, Kensington and Fishtown. 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? Speaking as someone coming from this field, it can be unforgiving and thirsty work, defined by small victories and glorious defeats. Philadelphias District Attorney Seth Williams risked backlash from hardcore law-and-order types when he recently stopped criminally prosecuting minor marijuana offenses. The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. Anything else is tantamount to poverty porn and disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to making Kensington Avenue a better place. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. It doesnt work the first or the second or the third or the fourth time for everybody, so we keep engaging for those that we can.. Addicts duck into vacant lots on the Avenue after returning from dope corners a couple of blocks away and, barely concealed by high weeds, casually cook and shoot speedballs. 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. SEPTA City Bus routes 3 (on Kensington Avenue, running underneath the "El") and 60 on Allegheny Avenue, with route 5 nearby on Frankford Avenue, also serve the K & A area. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. Welcome Van Life Wanderer! Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. Almost half of the neighborhoods residents live below the poverty line. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. 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. [59] [60]. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). Give your readers the whole story. 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. The drug is even cheaper to produce and procure than fentanyl and is more dangerous in the sense that Narcan is not effective against overdoses. 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. City housing officials say 300; police estimated over 650 people this summer. You have to bring services to addicts, offer them treatment. Impact Services and NKCDC collaborate with the shared goal to better the avenue that cuts through multiple neighborhoods. But arresting heroin addicts? Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. Though Kensington addicts seem to think so, the police department pushed back forcefully against this notion. Kensington Avenue's ghoulish world of addiction and prostitution exists outside the law. The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. Corridor vacancy, lower costs of real estate, and dedicated community groups and entrepreneurs make for an attractive location. [51] After Philadelphia Police forcibly removed a large encampment of these people from an abandoned railroad track by Lehigh Avenue, several smaller encampments formed under the tracks. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Overnight, people are getting stabbed. Once it hit rock bottom, the need for an outlet brought more people in. Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. This number is shockingly low compared to the overall Philadelphia average of $122,113 but is still better compared to previous years. 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. 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. A quick search brings up a plethora of articles outlining the ongoing issues Kensington faces, the overdose rates and weekly deaths. [55] It is also known as an area of prostitution. Afterward, the city repaired a single section of iron fencing in a feeble attempt to seal the area, but enclosing structures at multiple other access points had collapsed. 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. Not everyone who takes advantage of the trade on Kensington Ave lives nearby, though. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. Those of us who work and have worked in this community are routinely disappointed by these narratives, and the merchants on Kensington Avenue have their livelihood betrayed by them. There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. 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. As of right now, I dont think anyone is confident that theres any sort of larger plan that can account for each person.. In Philadelphia's Kensington district, home to one of the largest open-air drug markets in the United States, crowds of sellers and buyers flock to corners as if there never were a pandemic. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. "PR," age 41, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted at trial of all counts with which he was charged, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute crack and heroin, arising from his leadership role in supplying a drug . Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . It is not safe . At A and Indiana, an anxious crowd gathered, their eyes filled with the weary desperation that is so emblematic of addiction. Things just got worse, and more violent, the more we arrested people.. Kensington is a primarily low income area after the loss of its industries in the 1960s during deindustrialization and the subsequent loss of much of its working class population to the suburbs. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. [53][54] The intersection of Kensington Avenue and Somerset Street was listed number one in a 2007 list of the city's top ten recreational drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly reporter Steve Volk. The conflict between clean residents and dealers can escalate, sometimes so high that a person once threw a Molotov cocktail through a residents window. 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. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a "hellscape." Some even offer free samples. Forgotten by whom? [10] Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. Fentanyl has devastating withdrawal effects, though. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. There was a homeless camp set up in a railroad gulch in Kensington called El Campamento. 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. Please give today. The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were previously included but have developed new identities with gentrification. "[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. It is my sincere hope and belief that Kensington is arming itself against the forces of apathetic, tone-deaf gentrification. Some merchants, like Widdy Darts, a 108-year-old dartboard manufacturer, have been that way for a long time. Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. Frankford Avenue Baptist Church, 2347-49 Frankford Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (1889). The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. (Instead of a paywall). At stake in all this, is the soul of a place where Philadelphians have made a living, shopped and socialized for generations. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. The part of Kensington below Lehigh Street, or as it has been rebranded[citation needed] "Lower Kensington" or "East Kensington", is the part of Kensington most clearly experiencing gentrification. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. Everything You Wanted To Know About Los Angeles Skid Row, Everything You Wanted To Know About Los Angeles' Skid Row, Is Philadelphia Safe To Visit? Clifton Mills, Building 4, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). This energy is not relegated to existing businesses. The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. August 18, 2021 / 5:22 PM / CBS Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City officials broke up a homeless encampment in Kensington Wednesday afternoon, with outreach teams tearing down the. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. Between 2013 and 2015, the number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50%, with more than twice as many deaths from overdoses as homicides. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened.. 14 19 . 4 2023 , ! 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. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. Tony Rogers, a recovered heroin addict and reformed career criminal who warmly calls the motley crowds on Kensington Avenue my old tribe, says, In 20 years of using back here, I never once saw a cop come on the Tracks unless they chased somebody in here.. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. [7] Police, after a year and a half, removed these encampments causing its residents to spread up Kensington Avenue. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Were trying to make sure people are attaching to services rather than moving, Gladstein said. 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. The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. Sections of the neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing drug addiction and/or homelessness. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you . Gun shots are heard at night. Just a few blocks away, the Kensington Storefront, a collaboration between Impact Services, NKCDC, Mural Arts, Prevention Point Philadelphia and The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), transformed an abandoned Cricket Wireless Store into a hub for arts-based community events, trainings, and meetings. Kensington Avenue also benefits from the non-profit organizations operating there. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. These self-described low-bottom dope fiends havent bathed recently, and many have been running and gunning around the clock for days, selling needles and prescription pills, or prostituting on the Avenue to hustle up enough money for another bag of heroin. This isnt a Kensington problem, he said. 'Savage Sisters' care for those with addiction in Kensington, Philly firefighters rescue dog from house fire in Kensington, A group in recovery helps those battling the same addictions, Kensington teacher-turned-baker makes school sweeter, Man, woman in critical condition after being rescued from rowhome fire, Police searching for suspect after deadly Kensington hit-and-run, Man stabbed to death in Kensington, attacker seen running away, Police: Man dead after shooting in Kensington, 2 people shot in separate incidents in Philadelphia overnight, Police seek suspects who attacked, robbed mechanic inside repair shop, 3 shot outside Kensington elementary school; dozens of rounds fired, 2 men found shot in the head inside Kensington home, Police: Woman shot by boyfriend in Kensington, 2 men shot after confrontation turns violent in Kensington, Crime Fighters: Man gunned down while washing car; killer at large, Suspect in custody after baby wounded in shooting, Suspect identified in shooting that left baby wounded. (Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Top 10 Things To Do In Harleysville, PA In 2022, Top 11 Things To Do In McDonald, PA In 2022. link to Who is Henry Winklers Son? The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes, Philadelphia local news: Neighborhoods, politics, food, and fun, Get Philly smart with BPs free daily newsletter. There was a major street gang located at K&A that started as a burglary ring but eventually moved into drug trafficking in the 80s. The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). Many of these residents dont have homes. 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. According to NeighborhhoodLink, an online source for demographics, geography and economic statistics, the average house value in the 19125 zip code of Kensington is now at $43,500. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. It is this sort of activism, buoyed by engaged (and zoning savvy!) Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. They have attempted to clean up the neighborhoods, planting trees and replacing broken street lights. Addicts say the police came down hard on indoor drug establishments. In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. Official estimates vary as to how many people are living on Kensingtons streets. Between 2013 and 2015, the number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50%, with more than twice as many deaths from overdoses as homicides. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. Most encampment residents had moved out from the former site before Wednesday morning. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. Its central to the neighborhood and offers an ideal place to shoot up and camp out. This is Kensington Ave my friend. Jason Meyer watched from his wheelchair as city personnel tried to clean up the chaos near Kensington and Allegheny avenues on Wednesday morning. Port Richmond has a historically Polish population but is becoming more mixed, and Olde Richmond, an area just north of Fishtown, is experiencing similar gentrification. Heroin isnt sold here muchthat trade is controlled by Latin drug crews in the Badlands. 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. There is a common criticism that officials would never let this happen in whiter, more affluent parts of the city. It happened Monday around 10:40 p.m. on the. Kensington Avenue is infamously regarded as 'the largest open-air drug market on East Coast' In 2019, the city removed four encampments in the area that was known to be frequented by drug. Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue . Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. More by Max Marin. Read more ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer by Alfred Lubrano Published Aug 5, 2021 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. 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. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham said. 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. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134). Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. [Meta] Sticky Comment. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. 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. As for other encampments nearby, he said the city will need to post additional notice before staging more evictions. Then enter opiates. Disinvestment and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some sections of the neighborhood, catalyzing several grassroots actions from its residents. With such a high concentration of drugs in Kensington, many state and local officials have focused on the neighborhood in an attempt to address Philadelphia's problem.#SBCNews The citys violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas.1 Also alarming is Philadelphias drug overdose rate. This should not be ignored, and is, in fact, impossible to avoid. 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). Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. 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. ', "Kensington residents ask: 'Why would you think this is acceptable for us? [56], In 2010, three women (Elaine Goldberg, 21; Nicole Piacentini, 35; and Casey Mahoney, 27) were strangled to death in the neighborhood. Central Kensington, or "the Heart of Kensington" as it is called in a recent Impact Services neighborhood plan,[6] stretches along Kensington Avenue from Tusculum and Somerset Streets to Tioga Street (see Impact Services plan[6] for a more accurate map). Kensington has become a welter of crisscrossing needs and opinions, a civic puzzle no one's been able to solve. Its an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. It happened shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday in the area of Fairhill Square Park at 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue. A loan from a Community Development Financing Institution (CDFI) or a Storefront Improvement (SIP) or In-Store grant from the Department of Commerce carries the capacity to transform a block and breathe life into a business. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington Avenue. ', "Trapped by the 'Walmart of Heroin' Housing Alliance of PA.org", "Philadelphia's Kensington Avenue: Heroin, Prostitution, and No Police", Police arrest 'Kensington Strangler' person of interest, "9 people shot outside bar in Philadelphia: report", "9 shot outside bar in Kensington: Philadelphia police", New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Graduate Hospital / Southwest Center City, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kensington,_Philadelphia&oldid=1140536041, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox settlement with possible area code list, Pages using infobox settlement with no coordinates, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Articles with failed verification from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.
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