These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. Kensington has always been a rough area since before the 70s. 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. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. ", "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. People are scared to take the train to work. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). 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. Additionally, there is a large population of homeless individuals. Who is Henry Winklers Son? 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. In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. 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. The panel was developed in part by Tony Heriza, a documentary filmmaker working on a film about the Storefront, an art and community services hub set up in Kensington by Mural Arts Philadelphia. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in late December 2019, heroin abuse in Kensington worsened. Kensington development team seeks middle ground between gentrification and stagnation. 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. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. 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. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. 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. 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. 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 . They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. pic.twitter.com/yXU3zfzpGp. [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. The most conservative boundaries of the neighborhood, shown in the map below, 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. 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. City workers arrived in the early hours to clear out two homeless encampments the latest dustup in a years-long saga in Kensington and try to get the roughly 50 people living there into housing or recovery services. Kensington was featured in Nat Geos 2013 docu-series, Drugs Inc. in the episode about Philadelphia. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. 2913-15 Kensington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19134 (215) 634-5272 Prevention Point Philadelphia is a harm reduction center that provides syringe exchange services, free medical care, linkage to drug treatment, housing services, HIV/HCV testing, free meals, mail services, medical care, legal services and overdose prevention, and reversal training. GDP . Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. 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. Jackie is missing. Worse than plain heroin. The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons' Franklin Flint Glass Works, 1700-06 N. Howard Street (1876). They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. The few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. 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. Today, the neighborhood is full of decrepit two-story rowhouses and many abandoned commercial spaces: defunct factories and vacant lots. Days before the start of the New Year, the 16-year-old girl from the Philadelphia suburbs disappears for the third time in four months as she battles a heroin addiction that . The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. [Meta] Sticky Comment. 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. 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. Theres gotta be somewhere you could put your tent, a park, an area, some sort of designated spot, Meyer said. The cap will be home to nearly 12 acres of parkland and seamlessly connect Old City to the Delaware River waterfront at Penns Landing. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . 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?. Drug dealers at the corners. 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. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. 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. 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. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. [39], The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. The dualities are stark; Kensington is still an avenue of pain and trauma, ground zero for the opioid crisis, prostitution, and poverty. 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). Then enter opiates. 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. While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. There have been many petitions by residents to take care of Kensington. They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. 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. Soon, it too will house a commercial tenant and NKCDCs new offices. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. The underpass is cleared of homeless during the regular Friday morning police enforced clean-up at the homeless encampment on Kensington Avenue north of E. Lehigh Ave. on the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia on Friday, April 27, 2018. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? 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. 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. Evers confirms that there were coordinated efforts to empty Kensingtons shooting galleries during the stranglers killing spree, and he says this brought crime rates in the neighborhood way down. Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. 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. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. Parts of it were once called the 'Badlands' and it is hell on earth. 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. "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 . When resources are limited, you get to a point as a police officer where you ask yourself, Why am I doing something ineffective? says former Maryland State Police officer Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of criminal-justice professionals who favor drug-law reform. He once lived in the infamous Emerald Street encampment in Kensington, and saw how its closure in 2019 just shuffled people to other areas. 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. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time and are disputed among locals. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham said. On Wednesday, Steve, a 30-year-old fentanyl user who declined to give his last name, said he sympathized with the residents plight. 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. 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. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. The right to shop locally in your community is enjoyed by most Philadelphia residents, and Kensingtonians are taking their corridor back. It happened shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday in the area of Fairhill Square Park at 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. Things just got worse, and more violent, the more we arrested people.. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Many progressives endorse the idea of allowing addicts to get high in certain sections of cities without fear of arrest. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. [35][citation needed]. 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. 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. 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. [10] Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. 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. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. [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. kensington ave philadelphia - summer daytime compilation GDPGDP 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. Parks in and adjacent to the neighborhood include Harrowgate Park, McPherson Square, Hope Park, Fairhill Square Park, Norris Square Park, Mascher Park, Frankford Avenue Garden, Arcadia Commons, Trenton and Auburn Park, Letterly Green, Emerald Park, Konrad Square, and Palmer Park. 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. Give your readers the whole story. Nobody rousts or arrests the line of addicts nodded out in full view in the gutter. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. [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. The situation toward Allegheny Avenue grew even more intense after SEPTA briefly closed the Somerset El stop in January. What sort of reprieve Wednesdays action will offer neighbors and business owners remains unclear. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. '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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . But despite its joys, a neighborhood called Kensington made a name for itself as home to the nation's highest rates of heroin overdoses. Its central to the neighborhood and offers an ideal place to shoot up and camp out. Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. 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. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. That camp was cleared, and another formed. Anything else is tantamount to poverty porn and disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to making Kensington Avenue a better place. This is not a one and done, and well keep doing the work.. 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. But this is an ongoing process. From there, drug dens sprung up across the neighborhood and allowed for gangs to breed in the area. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. 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.