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.. On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. 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. Anything else is tantamount to poverty porn and disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to making Kensington Avenue a better place. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. A quick search brings up a plethora of articles outlining the ongoing issues Kensington faces, the overdose rates and weekly deaths. But Meyer, a 35-year-old whos spent years bounding between rehab and the streets as he battles his addiction, said it felt like deja vu. Addictions a medical problem; cops dont want to deal with that. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. There was a homeless camp set up in a railroad gulch in Kensington called El Campamento. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. This number is shockingly low compared to the overall Philadelphia average of $122,113 but is still better compared to previous years. The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. You have to bring services to addicts, offer them treatment. But a day later, and not far away, on the 1700 block of West Atlantic Street in North Philly, there was bloodshed and death. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. Things just got worse, and more violent, the more we arrested people.. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. These 4 nieborhoods are very simialer as far as their economic situations. Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. No one denies this. All About Max Winkler. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. Afaik other neighborhoods declined with crack, but Kensington was notable for pills and opiates. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. Commercial revitalization in the form of businesses a community has use for is a powerful weapon. Prevention Point Philadelphia, a public health organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). But users who buy in the Badlands come to Kensington to shoot up. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. Today, the neighborhood is full of decrepit two-story rowhouses and many abandoned commercial spaces: defunct factories and vacant lots. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. Each program mixes interviews with guest travel experts, your call-ins with questions and comments, and music. On the night we visited, police cars cruised past, their lights flashing, but never stopped. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. 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. 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 . A former bank will become a commercial kitchen and event space. 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 In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. 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. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. The city sees hope in this kind of intervention. There have been many petitions by residents to take care of Kensington. 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. Well probably have a detail stationed [there], Alexander said. Despite research on the positive effects of these sites, the Trump administration blocked them from being established. ", "Philly, Conrail near deal on cleanup of Kensington drug encampment", "Mother Jones leading a protest, circa 1903", "Today in labor history: Mother Jones leads march of miners' children", "Kensington: A Lot Of Heart Has Gone Into Revitalizing A Community", "Kensington: Rise and Fall of the Housing Market", "Kensington: Artists Make New Homes Amongst Longtime Residents", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Clifton Mills, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: The Columbia Works, 155-59 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons' Franklin Flint Glass Works, 1700-06 N. Howard Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Frankford Avenue Baptist Church, 2437-49 Frankford Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Kensington's historic milk bottle flashing refurbished look", "Kensington's giant milk bottle gets historic designation", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Kensington Hospital for Women, 128-40 Diamond Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles, 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places: Second Associate Presbyterian Church, 1527 N. Front Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination: Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA", "Gentrification disproportionately affects minorities", "How Fishtown, Philadelphia Became America's Hottest New Neighborhood", "Philly residents in areas affected by overdoses want a say in talks over a supervised injection site", "SEPTA To Indefinitely Close Somerset Station In Kensington To Develop Safety & Security Strategy, Repairs", "Kensington protests closing of SEPTA's Somerset El station, a lifeline for a battered neighborhood", "SEPTA closing Somerset Station temporarily to fix elevators, confront safety concerns", "SEPTA to Reopen Somerset Station on Monday, April 5 | SEPTA", "Safehouse drops South Philly plans, looks to Kensington after judge suspends launch", "Safehouse vows to take more community input on supervised injection site plans", "Kensington neighbors dismayed by ruling on supervised injection site", "Who We Are - NKCDC - Community development should benefit residents", "Three Catholic schools closing in Bucks County", "As the pandemic surges, 'no one deserves what's brewing in Kensington. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. Answer (1 of 7): I live and minister here as a pastor. Now home to fifty-one residents, this former source of blight is transformed to a beacon of hope. 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. A recent piece chronicles the authors adventures day drinking in forgotten Philadelphia. Progress, even the slightest measures, can have enormous impact. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. 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. Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. ', "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. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Several men rush to be the first to make a dollar selling her a syringe. 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. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. Called the largest open-air narcotics market on the East Coast, Kensington Avenue has, without a doubt, made a name for itself. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible tent cities that grew along a series of underpasses. [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. [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. As for other encampments nearby, he said the city will need to post additional notice before staging more evictions. Soon, thanks to this effort and efforts like it, they wont have to. Nine years later and were still talking about it. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible "tent cities" that grew along a series of underpasses. 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. Johnson knowseven with a colorful awning and bright lightingher cafe might not get a lot of consumer street traffic. 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?. Views Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. 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. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets. According to Philadelphia Police, the accident happened at 3300 Kensington Avenue in the Kensington section of Philly. Some even offer free samples. [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. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . Along with having a high rate of drug overdose deaths, 80% percent of Philadelphias overdose deaths involved opioids2 and Kensington is a big contributor to this number. All About Max Winkler. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. For too long, Kensington residents have resorted to other neighborhoods to shop. pic.twitter.com/yXU3zfzpGp. 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. Subs and Xany bars, subs and Xany bars, chant men in cockeyed baseball caps while pacing the corner, searching the crowd for potential customers. "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. 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. 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. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134). Look, he says, junkies got rights, too. The problem is that Kensington Avenue is largely unseen by Philadelphians. 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 . This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. 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. [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. 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. Looks not far from K&A, the intersection of Kensington and Alleghany Ave. [Meta] Sticky Comment. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. 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. 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. Though Kensington addicts seem to think so, the police department pushed back forcefully against this notion. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. 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. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block 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.. 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. Subs are Suboxone, a pill containing buprenophine, a drug that eases the pain of heroin withdrawal. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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? Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. 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. Its central to the neighborhood and offers an ideal place to shoot up and camp out. 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. They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. Give your readers the whole story. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. Kensington development team seeks middle ground between gentrification and stagnation. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. There still is no answer for the full number of people out here, McKinney said. What sort of reprieve Wednesdays action will offer neighbors and business owners remains unclear. 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. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. The dualities are stark; Kensington is still an avenue of pain and trauma, ground zero for the opioid crisis, prostitution, and poverty. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. 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. . A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. Gun shots are heard at night. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. 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. The whole city, its always a battle for space, and any open space is going to get filled., Love Philly? 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. 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. The government has shown attempts at trying. 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. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. 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). [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. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. 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. [4] It was also the birthplace of the K&A Gang, currently known as the Northeast Philly Irish Mob, an Irish American organized crime network. 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. [41] However, some residents and many harm reduction advocates in the area are supportive.[35][42]. It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. However, fentanyl has replaced heroin completely and it is rare that you find anyone using pure heroin in Kensington. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. The killer is referred to by the media as "The Kensington Strangler". They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. Most encampment residents had moved out from the former site before Wednesday morning. Arrest made after deadly crash in Kensington, Philadelphia police say The incident happened at the intersection of G and Tioga Streets around 4:40 p.m. Nov 13, 2022 00:17 Arrest made after. This summer, the Philadelphia Police Department canceled seven blocks in the area due to safety concerns. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. Like many corridors, there are destination spots for Philly foodies. From there, drug dens sprung up across the neighborhood and allowed for gangs to breed in the area. 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. 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. Jackie is missing. NKCDC is working on the redevelopment of the Orinoka Civic House. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. 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. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. Philadelphias police force is inarguably overwhelmed by the scope of the citys addiction problems. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning.