Nobody rousts or arrests the line of addicts nodded out in full view in the gutter. A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. The right to shop locally in your community is enjoyed by most Philadelphia residents, and Kensingtonians are taking their corridor back. Since then, drug activity and homelessness has intensified in the shadow of the El between the Somerset and Allegheny stops on the Market-Frankford Line. According to Philadelphia Police, the accident happened at 3300 Kensington Avenue in the Kensington section of Philly. [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. 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. Addictions a medical problem; cops dont want to deal with that. Mainstays such as Martins Deli, Four Sons Pizza, and Bentleys Place operate as they have for decades, plugging along, believing in the strength of their community. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a hellscape. These articles tell an intentional narrative, one which has no room for hope. 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 . Its an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. 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. Addicts say the police came down hard on indoor drug establishments. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. The citys unrelenting heat wave has left them worse for wear, their exposed skin coated in a glaze of sweat, their tank tops and shorts smeared with street grime. 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 originally a blue collar neighborhood that thrived on the factories built there. Like many corridors, there are destination spots for Philly foodies. '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. [Meta] Sticky Comment. The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. They were en route to more serious crimes going down to the west in the Badlands. 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. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. McNeil Laboratories began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. 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. 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. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. Words such hopeless and dystopian punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Google Maps borders for Kensington show it including much of what is considered Fishtown and excludes West Kensington. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. 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. [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. They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines! "PR," age 41, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted at trial of all counts with which he was charged, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute crack and heroin, arising from his leadership role in supplying a drug . Some merchants, like Widdy Darts, a 108-year-old dartboard manufacturer, have been that way for a long time. Agraduate of Temple University, he has produced award-winning journalism on local politics, criminal justice, immigration WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. Some, such as the second location for the Baltimore Avenue-based Vientiane Cafe, are just getting started. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. 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. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. 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. Welcome Van Life Wanderer! [35][citation needed]. [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. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. Crack, meth, heroin, oxycodone, weed, percocet, PCP these are all the usual suspects around Kensington Ave. August 18, 2021 / 5:22 PM / CBS Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City officials broke up a homeless encampment in Kensington Wednesday afternoon, with outreach teams tearing down the. Kensington has become a welter of crisscrossing needs and opinions, a civic puzzle no one's been able to solve. Soon, thanks to this effort and efforts like it, they wont have to. The case was dropped in July. 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. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. 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. But users who buy in the Badlands come to Kensington to shoot up. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue the city shut them down one by one, vowing improvement at every step of the way. Theres gotta be somewhere you could put your tent, a park, an area, some sort of designated spot, Meyer said. Jason Meyer watched from his wheelchair as city personnel tried to clean up the chaos near Kensington and Allegheny avenues on Wednesday morning. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Today, the neighborhood is full of decrepit two-story rowhouses and many abandoned commercial spaces: defunct factories and vacant lots. It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North Philadelphia. 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. The killer is referred to by the media as "The Kensington Strangler". There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. The conflict between clean residents and dealers can escalate, sometimes so high that a person once threw a Molotov cocktail through a residents window. Police said the victim is a 43-year-old man, who was stabbed multiple times. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. Official estimates vary as to how many people are living on Kensingtons streets. "[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. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Before the Act of Consolidation, 1854, the Kensington District included portions of the neighborhoods known today as Olde Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, and Fishtown, with its northern border at Lehigh Avenue. [39], The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. Called the largest open-air narcotics market on the East Coast, Kensington Avenue has, without a doubt, made a name for itself. [10], By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in carpet. Max Winkler is an American director, writer and producer and is also the son of legendary actor Henry Winker. 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. History set Kensington up for a steady decline. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? 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.. 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. Look, he says, junkies got rights, too. Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. Kensington Blues is a photography series by Jeffrey Stockbridge, 36, that documented the struggles and the dark reality of local residents. This energy is not relegated to existing businesses. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. 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. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. PHILADELPHIA - Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ricardo Carrion, a.k.a. Groups of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. 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. 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. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. The situation feels like its at a breaking point for some. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. But this is an ongoing process. 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. NKCDC is working on the redevelopment of the Orinoka Civic House. No one denies this. 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. Its so well known that a simple Google search for really bad drug areas brings it up. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. Construction is slated to start this week on Arguto Court, an adaptive reuse project featuring office space and a cafe. 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. 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. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. 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. 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. Kensington Ave - Everything You Want To Know About Philadelphia's Skid Row Written by Mariska Lee in Pennsylvania Close to the I-95, and a stone's throw away from the scenic Delaware river, Kensington is a neighborhood in northern Philly with quite the reputation. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. Answer (1 of 7): I live and minister here as a pastor. Yet the city has promised zero tolerance for encampments before, and the crackdowns have not yielded a long term solution. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. Additionally, there is a large population of homeless individuals. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. Kensington has traditionally been known as one of the working class centers of Philadelphia. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 5.3M views 7 months ago #SBCNews Documentary by SBC News covering Streets of. 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. The dualities are stark; Kensington is still an avenue of pain and trauma, ground zero for the opioid crisis, prostitution, and poverty. Then enter opiates. It is not safe . Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . You cant walk down the sidewalk, he said. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know. You can see people with there faces smashed. Suffice to say it is not a place to go at night. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. Each program mixes interviews with guest travel experts, your call-ins with questions and comments, and music. Kim Gary shared a video drive-through of Kensington that will leave you speechless that city Democrats are ignoring the real problems in their city. [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]. 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. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. 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 . [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. 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. Thats anywhere from three to six times the mere 100 emergency shelter beds that were available in June, WHYY News reported. It is similar to Central Kensington but is slightly quieter and has fewer crimes. Kensington is home to a number of community development corporations working to improve housing conditions and economic activity in the neighborhood: Kensington is represented on the Philadelphia's City Council by Districts 1 and 7. Almost half of the neighborhoods residents live below the poverty line. Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey does not support it; no one in this department does. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. 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? It was a scene that rivaled the aftermath of a storm, its victims caught up in forces that leave many hungry, homeless and hopeless. 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. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. This is not a one and done, and well keep doing the work.. The decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. "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 . It has one of the largest rates of shootings in the city and is the scene of many murders. In 2017, the city cleared it out in an attempt to begin to tackle the cyclic issue of homelessness and drug use. 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. Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street (189091). But despite its joys, a neighborhood called Kensington made a name for itself as home to the nation's highest rates of heroin overdoses. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. 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. Please give today. Knowing Kensington Avenue like I do, I am distressed by its predominantly negative and fetishized depiction in the media. Subs and Xany bars, subs and Xany bars, chant men in cockeyed baseball caps while pacing the corner, searching the crowd for potential customers. Subs are Suboxone, a pill containing buprenophine, a drug that eases the pain of heroin withdrawal. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are searching for two suspects who are wanted in connection with a violent carjacking earlier this week. 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. However, fentanyl has replaced heroin completely and it is rare that you find anyone using pure heroin in Kensington. The drugs are just too cheap and too accessible. The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. It happened Monday around 10:40 p.m. on the. 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. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 10K 1.4M views 1 year ago #SBCNews. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Close to the Delaware River where factories have since closed it is called the Walmart of Drugs and it is the world leader in heroin sales and usage. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. 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. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. Were trying to make sure people are attaching to services rather than moving, Gladstein said. He also sold to recent German fishermen immigrants. Kensington Avenue also benefits from the non-profit organizations operating there. Many progressives endorse the idea of allowing addicts to get high in certain sections of cities without fear of arrest. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados.