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. [10], By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in carpet. Protestors demanded a clear reopening date for the station, safer conditions for SEPTA workers, addiction services, services for homeless people in the area, and more. Please give today. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia is infamous for drug abuse and prostitution. Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. '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. Shes comparatively clean cut, probably from the suburbs or middle-class Northeast Philadelphia, whose residents with a taste for heroin are drawn to Kensington for its freewheeling addiction-bazaar atmosphere. They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. 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. The city sees hope in this kind of intervention. 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. Estimates vary between 300 and 650 people living on the street. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. 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. Kensington has traditionally been known as one of the working class centers of Philadelphia. Kensington and Cambria. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). 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). Those who do not frequent it rely on the medias interpretation and are primarily getting this message: Kensington Avenue is a barren wasteland where no happiness can find purchase. Forgotten by whom? [37] The station was reopened on April 5 with increased police presence. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. Prevention Point Philadelphia, a public health organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. 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. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. (2021 Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Is Pittsburgh Safe To Visit? Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. In 1903 Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against child labor. 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. 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. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. Drug dealers at the corners. Views Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. People are hanging out everywhere, turning tricks and working petty hustles. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. A quick search brings up a plethora of articles outlining the ongoing issues Kensington faces, the overdose rates and weekly deaths. Nobody rousts or arrests the line of addicts nodded out in full view in the gutter. Its central to the neighborhood and offers an ideal place to shoot up and camp out. 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. Jason Meyer watched from his wheelchair as city personnel tried to clean up the chaos near Kensington and Allegheny avenues on Wednesday morning. 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. Impact Services and NKCDC collaborate with the shared goal to better the avenue that cuts through multiple neighborhoods. 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. Parts of the neighborhood lie in the 177th or 197th Districts, represented by Joseph C. Hohenstein and Danilo Burgos respectively. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Police said the victim is a 43-year-old man, who was stabbed multiple times. neighborhood street scenes in kensington, philadelphia, pa - kensington philadelphia stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Discarded needles are seen at a heroin encampment in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 7, 2017. [15][16][17], Listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[18], Kensington has a population of approximately 42,000 people according to data from ASC 2020 survey. That camp was cleared, and another formed. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). 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. Looks not far from K&A, the intersection of Kensington and Alleghany Ave. 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. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134). "The blocks [where drug dealing takes place] never closed," said Christine Russo, 38, who's been using heroin for seven years. This lack of message parity is harmful to the corridor. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. A Google search for " Kensington Avenue Philadelphia " yields horrendous images of sad-eyed people slumped over in varying poses of despair. 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. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. Of the non-Hispanic or Latino population, 19% is White, 15.1% is Black or African American, 3.6% is Asian, and 2.2% identify as two or more races. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. 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). A recent piece chronicles the authors adventures day drinking in forgotten Philadelphia. [59] [60]. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. [55] It is also known as an area of prostitution. [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. During our visit, addicts casually moved in and out, bringing and injecting their Badlands-bought heroin. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a hellscape. These articles tell an intentional narrative, one which has no room for hope. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. The white residents fled to the suburbs and people of color and limited means moved in. 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. Philadelphia officials developed what they call the "encampment resolution" process in 2017 after the city swept a . Though Kensington addicts seem to think so, the police department pushed back forcefully against this notion. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. 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. They gotta do something about it, and this is coming from someone whos homeless living on the street., Out on the Kensington Avenue this morning, where just north of K&A homeless outreach workers and police begin to clear out yet another encampment. While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. But this is an ongoing process. My name is Mariska and I'm living my best life while living the van life. At first fentanyl was used as a cutting agent to lets dealers water down their heroin with a cheaper alternative to make more money. The area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. It is this sort of activism, buoyed by engaged (and zoning savvy!) If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! Close to the Delaware River where factories have since closed it is called the Walmart of Drugs and it is the world leader in heroin sales and usage. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. Kensington Independent Civic Association), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 14:40. 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. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. The situation feels like its at a breaking point for some. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. Construction is slated to start this week on Arguto Court, an adaptive reuse project featuring office space and a cafe. Subs and Xany bars, subs and Xany bars, chant men in cockeyed baseball caps while pacing the corner, searching the crowd for potential customers. 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. City data supporting those numbers was not readily available. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. There was a homeless camp set up in a railroad gulch in Kensington called El Campamento. 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. 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. The eyes of one woman in her 20s filled as she sobbed in the arms of a familiar woman, Marti Hottenstein, who pledged to get her off . As for other encampments nearby, he said the city will need to post additional notice before staging more evictions. Philadelphias District Attorney Seth Williams risked backlash from hardcore law-and-order types when he recently stopped criminally prosecuting minor marijuana offenses. 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. 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. A 25-year-old woman was shot once in her left leg. Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. [52], The neighborhood has gained nationwide attention and great notoriety because of extensive press coverage of its thriving narcotics drug scene, often described as the largest on the east coast. 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. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. 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. The right to shop locally in your community is enjoyed by most Philadelphia residents, and Kensingtonians are taking their corridor back. 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. [58], In 2022, multiple gunmen fired approximately 40 rounds into a crowd from a black vehicle near Kensington Avenue and East Allegheny hitting nine people. Who is Henry Winklers Son? [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. Housing justice advocates have criticized the citys treatment of encampment residents in both Kensington and Center City, alleging that officials fail to provide adequate long-term housing options after shutting down their living sites. 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.. kensington ave philadelphia - summer daytime compilation GDPGDP Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. Welcome Van Life Wanderer! This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. [7] Police, after a year and a half, removed these encampments causing its residents to spread up Kensington Avenue. Thats anywhere from three to six times the mere 100 emergency shelter beds that were available in June, WHYY News reported. 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 . Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. Addictions a medical problem; cops dont want to deal with that. Two emergency shelters closed along Kensington Avenue within the last year. Yet the city has promised zero tolerance for encampments before, and the crackdowns have not yielded a long term solution. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. It has always had the El train that runs straight through Kensington. The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. Heroin isnt sold here muchthat trade is controlled by Latin drug crews in the Badlands. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible "tent cities" that grew along a series of underpasses. On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia has set a deadline of Aug. 18 for encampments of people living homeless on the sidewalks of Kensington to be cleared. Kensington is home to a number of community development corporations working to improve housing conditions and economic activity in the neighborhood: Kensington is represented on the Philadelphia's City Council by Districts 1 and 7. He once lived in the infamous Emerald Street encampment in Kensington, and saw how its closure in 2019 just shuffled people to other areas. 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. Philadelphias police force is inarguably overwhelmed by the scope of the citys addiction problems. The dualities are stark; Kensington is still an avenue of pain and trauma, ground zero for the opioid crisis, prostitution, and poverty. Franklin oversaw narcotics operations around Baltimore for much of his 34 years in law enforcement and knows well the futility of locking up addicts en masse. 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. "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 . 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. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. (Instead of a paywall). Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. 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. Suffice to say it is not a place to go at night. 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. The influx of immigrants and low-income households many of whom were unaware of the drug situation, or were forced to ignore it due to the stark affordability has made little difference in gentrifying the area. 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. 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. 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. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. They paint a picture of a poverty zoo. Kensington Avenue also benefits from the non-profit organizations operating there. 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. These merchants do not need your pity, they want your business, and they deserve to be taken seriously. This is not a one and done, and well keep doing the work.. History set Kensington up for a steady decline. Knowing Kensington Avenue like I do, I am distressed by its predominantly negative and fetishized depiction in the media. Community garden spaces in and around the neighborhood include Kensington Corridor Trust Community Garden, NKCDC Garden, Las Parcelas - Norris Square, El Batey - Norris Square, Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden, Emerald Street Community Farm, Rainbow Park, House of Grace Community Garden, Port Kensington, Hart Lane Farm, Circle of Hope / Frankford Ave Garden. Many progressives endorse the idea of allowing addicts to get high in certain sections of cities without fear of arrest. The storefront challenge is a proactive answer to the inequity created by corridor vacancy. The drug market is so strong in Kensington and the joblessness and institutionalized racism so engrained, the community struggles while the state flounders with resolutions. This is Kensington Ave my friend. Kensington, colloquially known locally as Kenzo, is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. 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. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a "hellscape." 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. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons' Franklin Flint Glass Works, 1700-06 N. Howard Street (1876). 0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. The situation toward Allegheny Avenue grew even more intense after SEPTA briefly closed the Somerset El stop in January. Driven by a resident engagement process, this is a best practices model for how to equitably manage what could be a tidal wave of gentrification as Philadelphians continue to discover the under-the-radar appeal of the area. It has one of the largest rates of shootings in the city and is the scene of many murders. 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. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. 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. [35][citation needed]. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. They tried to institute safe-injection sites, where users can shoot up without fear of prosecution. 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. Subscribe to SBC News: https://www.youtube.com/c/SBCNewsYouTube?sub_confirmation=1#SBCNews
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