Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street (189091). Its a place where many admit they dont want to be, but cant get away from. McPherson Square, the park at the heart of the neighborhood, is home to at least 80 to 100 people every night, said Bill McKinney, executive director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation who lives nearby. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible tent cities that grew along a series of underpasses. Public schools in Kensington include Kensington High School Complex, Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High School, Russell Conwell Middle Magnet School and John H. Webster Elementary School. They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. Watch on Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington Philadelphia Drug & Crime Problems Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. 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. Fentanyl has devastating withdrawal effects, though. This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. The storefront challenge is a proactive answer to the inequity created by corridor vacancy. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? Soon, thanks to this effort and efforts like it, they wont have to. A quick search brings up a plethora of articles outlining the ongoing issues Kensington faces, the overdose rates and weekly deaths. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. These merchants do not need your pity, they want your business, and they deserve to be taken seriously. . But about 15 people remained around 8 a.m., many shielding their faces from news cameras as outreach workers helped them fill plastic bins with their belongings. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. A 25-year-old woman was shot once in her left leg. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. Philadelphia is known for its rich history, cheesesteak, and love for the Eagles. Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. 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). Kensington has many playgrounds within or adjacent to its boundaries including Nelson Playground, Waterloo Playground, Hissey Playground, McPherson Square Playground, Heitzman Recreation Center, McKinley Playground / McVeigh Recreation Center, Scanlon Playground and Ice Rink, Harrowgate Park Playground, Fairhill Square Park Playground, Eric Casiano Field, Mascher Park / Maguire Playground, Black Coyle and McBride Playground, Pop's Playground, Pop's Skatepark, Hagert Street Playground, Shissler Recreation Center, and Towey Playground. It happened Monday around 10:40 p.m. on the. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. 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. The Tracks, a mile-long wooded stretch of shipping railway cutting across the Badlands, is a section of Philadelphia long ago ceded by law enforcement to drug users. 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 . Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. Its the hottest night of the summer, and on Philadelphias Kensington Avenue, underneath the elevated train tracks at Somerset Street, mills a crowd of addicts nearly 100 strong, the biggest ever to flock to this well-known drug corner. But users who buy in the Badlands come to Kensington to shoot up. 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 super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. It is not safe . On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. Mattresses lie in the mud along the railway where prostitutes trick, and rapes and assaults are common. Views Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. 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. Clifton Mills, Building 4, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). [10] Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. 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 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, What happened Today, October, 05, 2021. kimgary 266K subscribers 348K views 1 year ago Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington. Crack, meth, heroin, oxycodone, weed, percocet, PCP these are all the usual suspects around Kensington Ave. [32][failed verification] The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. City housing officials say 300; police estimated over 650 people this summer. 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. 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. This isnt a Kensington problem, he said. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible "tent cities" that grew along a series of underpasses. 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. Last year alone, Kensington Avenue was approved for over ten SIP grants to renovate commercial facades, which, when complete, will literally change the face of the corridor. We have four outreach teams out in Kensington every day. Today, the neighborhood is full of decrepit two-story rowhouses and many abandoned commercial spaces: defunct factories and vacant lots. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. 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. Addicts can be found in the woods along the Tracks openly cooking and shooting drugs in broad daylight, a daily occurrence that indicates this is territory clearly forsaken by the law. Its so well known that a simple Google search for really bad drug areas brings it up. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. Many now-users originally sought out street drugs due to injuries or post-surgery pains and couldnt afford the legal medicines to soothe their pain. 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. However, heroin and fentanyl is without a doubt the most popular drugs. Agraduate of Temple University, he has produced award-winning journalism on local politics, criminal justice, immigration McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. Gun shots are heard at night. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. A Google search for Kensington Avenue Philadelphia yields horrendous images of sad-eyed people slumped over in varying poses of despair. 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). 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. 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. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. 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. You can see people with there faces smashed. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. 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. Multiple people injured after crash in Kensington. City data supporting those numbers was not readily available. Nine years later and were still talking about it. These 4 nieborhoods are very simialer as far as their economic situations. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. The decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. With the promise of rent subsidies and financial technical assistance from Shift and partners, nine new businesses will be opening shop on Kensington Avenue by this summer. It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North Philadelphia. Probably for. Kensington development team seeks middle ground between gentrification and stagnation. Addicts say the police came down hard on indoor drug establishments. This summer, the Philadelphia Police Department canceled seven blocks in the area due to safety concerns. All About Max Winkler. The cap will be home to nearly 12 acres of parkland and seamlessly connect Old City to the Delaware River waterfront at Penns Landing. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia is infamous for drug abuse and prostitution. Forgotten by whom? Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. '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. 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. 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. 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. It has one of the largest rates of shootings in the city and is the scene of many murders. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. In 1903 Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against child labor. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. [35][citation needed]. Close to the I-95, and a stones throw away from the scenic Delaware river, Kensington is a neighborhood in northern Philly with quite the reputation. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. It is similar to Central Kensington but is slightly quieter and has fewer crimes. The original area of Kensington is now more commonly called "Fishtown," mainly because of the shad fishing that was one of the dominant businesses in Kensington in the 18th and 19th centuries. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? 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. Theres a significant number of people who commute to this space to pick up what they need, making the residual effects of the narcotic empire spread far and wide. 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. These boundaries have since shifted so that a large area north of Lehigh Avenue is now considered part of Kensington, while Fishtown is no longer considered part of the neighborhood. Disinvestment and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some sections of the neighborhood, catalyzing several grassroots actions from its residents. Estimates vary between 300 and 650 people living on the street. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. Kensington Blues is a photography series by Jeffrey Stockbridge, 36, that documented the struggles and the dark reality of local residents. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. Like many corridors, there are destination spots for Philly foodies. This is Kensington Ave my friend. The government has shown attempts at trying. However, the drug market remained decentralized, running through small groups of dealers that were harder to prosecute than, say, a crime syndicate. They tried to institute safe-injection sites, where users can shoot up without fear of prosecution. Police said the victim is a 43-year-old man, who was stabbed multiple times. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis,[9] 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 Delaware River). Some merchants, like Widdy Darts, a 108-year-old dartboard manufacturer, have been that way for a long time. 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. Xany bars are 2mg Xanax pills, the strongest dosage, often used with Suboxone to give users a heroin-like half-consciousness. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. [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]. Called the largest open-air narcotics market on the East Coast, Kensington Avenue has, without a doubt, made a name for itself. The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. Kensington and Cambria. The conflict between clean residents and dealers can escalate, sometimes so high that a person once threw a Molotov cocktail through a residents window. Users flock to the scene. Then enter opiates. Speaking as someone coming from this field, it can be unforgiving and thirsty work, defined by small victories and glorious defeats. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. McNeil Laboratories began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. It is this sort of activism, buoyed by engaged (and zoning savvy!) (2021 Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Is Pittsburgh Safe To Visit? The case was dropped in July. Please give today. When officials shut down the four bridge encampments between 2018 and 2019, Gladstein said 65% of people went into housing, and of those, more than half remain in housing today. 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. "[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. Once it hit rock bottom, the need for an outlet brought more people in. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. Philadelphias police force is inarguably overwhelmed by the scope of the citys addiction problems. Jackie is missing. Welcome Van Life Wanderer! Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. Through it all, I consistently found myself impressed in awe of the merchants on Kensington Avenue and hopeful for their entrepreneurial futures. Im out here too, and I think its fucking insanity. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. 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.. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. [8] People suffering from addiction and/or homelessness concentrate around the Somerset and Allegheny train stations, in nearby parks, and on residential streets, angering long-term residents. Sections of the neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing drug addiction and/or homelessness. 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. 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 . 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? Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. [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. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. Construction is slated to start this week on Arguto Court, an adaptive reuse project featuring office space and a cafe. 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. Since 2015, 295 people have been shot within a five minute walk of Kensington and Allegheny, a busy intersection at the heart of the neighborhood, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer analysis. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). Looks not far from K&A, the intersection of Kensington and Alleghany Ave. [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 10K 1.4M views 1 year ago #SBCNews. 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. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. [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. [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. Answer (1 of 7): I live and minister here as a pastor. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? Kensington Independent Civic Association), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 14:40. It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. Max Winkler is an American director, writer and producer and is also the son of legendary actor Henry Winker. My name is Mariska and I'm living my best life while living the van life. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. 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. [55] It is also known as an area of prostitution. They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. 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. ', "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. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey does not support it; no one in this department does. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are searching for two suspects who are wanted in connection with a violent carjacking earlier this week. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. 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. Any given day, a walk down Kensington Avenue yields ample reminders that the neighborhood is the "aortic valve of the region's opioid crisis," as Billy Penn's Max Marin recently put it. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. Kensington and Somerset. [Kensington] presents a prime opportunity for a heroin maintenance program where addicts could get heroin legally, safely, and free of cost so they dont commit robberies and other crimes to support their habits.
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