Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. [39], The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. 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. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Kensington Independent Civic Association), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 14:40. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Yet the city has promised zero tolerance for encampments before, and the crackdowns have not yielded a long term solution. pic.twitter.com/yXU3zfzpGp. The Free Library of Philadelphia operates the McPherson Square Branch at 601 East Indiana Avenue,[50] and the Kensington Branch at 104 W Dauphin Street. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. A Google search for Kensington Avenue Philadelphia yields horrendous images of sad-eyed people slumped over in varying poses of despair. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. NKCDC is working on the redevelopment of the Orinoka Civic House. All About Max Winkler. It has one of the largest rates of shootings in the city and is the scene of many murders. All About Max Winkler. 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. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. They were en route to more serious crimes going down to the west in the Badlands. The white residents fled to the suburbs and people of color and limited means moved in. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you . Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Two smiling beat cops dressed in crisp, pressed uniforms foot-patrolled the areas perimeter but steered clear of the crowds around Somerset Street. 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. 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. (2021 Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Is Pittsburgh Safe To Visit? 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. Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). 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. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible tent cities that grew along a series of underpasses. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. The Columbia Works, 155-59 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in late December 2019, heroin abuse in Kensington worsened. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. Its a place where many admit they dont want to be, but cant get away from. 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. Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. 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 is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines! But this is an ongoing process. 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. Give your readers the whole story. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. This train starts at Bridge st. From Frankford , Juanita, Kensington and Fishtown. Welcome Van Life Wanderer! 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. 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. The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were previously included but have developed new identities with gentrification. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. 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. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. Kensington Blues is a photography series by Jeffrey Stockbridge, 36, that documented the struggles and the dark reality of local residents. This number is shockingly low compared to the overall Philadelphia average of $122,113 but is still better compared to previous years. 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. There was a major street gang located at K&A that started as a burglary ring but eventually moved into drug trafficking in the 80s. 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. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. Its an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. The citys violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas.1 Also alarming is Philadelphias drug overdose rate. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. [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. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. 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. You can do that in Amsterdam, Will Sims says, comparing hard-ass Kensington with what he perceives to be the touchy-feely Netherlands, but this is Philly, and Philly aint Amsterdam.. During my three years managing commercial corridors for theThe New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), on Kensington Avenue and several other business thoroughfares, I got to know the small business owners, civic associations, and other stakeholders working every day to revitalize the local economy. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. More by Max Marin. In 2017, officials moved to raze a large-scale encampment known as El Campamento that had long existed, hidden out of sight along the Conrail train tracks. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. 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). 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. This summer, the Philadelphia Police Department canceled seven blocks in the area due to safety concerns. 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. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. The number of drug overdose . The help is there, but its not enough. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. 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. Read more ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer by Alfred Lubrano Published Aug 5, 2021 Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. 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 arresting heroin addicts? The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. It happened shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday in the area of Fairhill Square Park at 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue. Kensington belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. McNeil Laboratories began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. Soon, it too will house a commercial tenant and NKCDCs new offices. ", "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. [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. 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. Prevention Point Philadelphia, a public health organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. [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. Like many corridors, there are destination spots for Philly foodies. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. The situation feels like its at a breaking point for some. Agraduate of Temple University, he has produced award-winning journalism on local politics, criminal justice, immigration In the absence of a larger plan, he was certain those encampments would grow in the coming weeks. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Despite research on the positive effects of these sites, the Trump administration blocked them from being established. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. [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. A Google search for " Kensington Avenue Philadelphia " yields horrendous images of sad-eyed people slumped over in varying poses of despair. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. Now home to fifty-one residents, this former source of blight is transformed to a beacon of hope. 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. City housing officials say 300; police estimated over 650 people this summer. People are hanging out everywhere, turning tricks and working petty hustles. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. This should not be ignored, and is, in fact, impossible to avoid. 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. 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. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. History set Kensington up for a steady decline. Probably for. 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. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. 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?. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. A 25-year-old woman was shot once in her left leg. Max Winkler is an American director, writer and producer and is also the son of legendary actor Henry Winker. This section of Philadelphia is considered the center of opioid drug use and the city and community are working to bring the crisis under control.Read more ANTHONY PEZZOTTI / Staff Photographer 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. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. 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 killer is referred to by the media as "The Kensington Strangler". Multiple people injured after crash in Kensington. Addicts say the police came down hard on indoor drug establishments. 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. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. With such a high concentration of drugs in Kensington, many state and local officials have focused on the neighborhood in an attempt to address Philadelphia's problem.#SBCNews 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. The city sees hope in this kind of intervention. 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. 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. 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.. Words such hopeless and dystopian punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Philadelphias District Attorney Seth Williams risked backlash from hardcore law-and-order types when he recently stopped criminally prosecuting minor marijuana offenses. 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 . The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. The government has shown attempts at trying. 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. The decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. 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. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city . Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street (189091). 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. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. As for other encampments nearby, he said the city will need to post additional notice before staging more evictions. civic associations and business alliances, which instills hope that development will be inclusive. 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 . Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. [41] However, some residents and many harm reduction advocates in the area are supportive.[35][42]. 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. 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. Mattresses lie in the mud along the railway where prostitutes trick, and rapes and assaults are common. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. 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. [35][citation needed]. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). Philadelphia officials developed what they call the "encampment resolution" process in 2017 after the city swept a . Look, he says, junkies got rights, too. 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. Butterworth and Sons Company Building, Kensington Corridor Trust Community Garden, community development financial institution, Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High School, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania", "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Beatty's Mills Factory Building", "Coral Street Arts House - NKCDC - An income based apartment for artists", "Insane Surge in Philadelphia Gentrification", "PhilaPlace - The Kensington Riots of 1844", "Maps make you wonder, what is Fishtown? Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks. 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.