Johnson knowseven with a colorful awning and bright lightingher cafe might not get a lot of consumer street traffic. sekiyuji on Twitter: " Streets of Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. 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. [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. The decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. 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. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. Kensington and Somerset. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. But despite its joys, a neighborhood called Kensington made a name for itself as home to the nation's highest rates of heroin overdoses. Multiple people injured after a messy crash in Kensington - 6abc This area is the aortic valve of the regions opioid crisis, where an estimated billion dollar drug trade draws thousands from all over the region into the post-industrial neighborhood. 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. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021 Despite research on the positive effects of these sites, the Trump administration blocked them from being established. 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. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks. Probably for. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Philly's Kensington is a zombie apocalypse ignored by Biden on city visit In the absence of a larger plan, he was certain those encampments would grow in the coming weeks. 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. Some even offer free samples. Strong community groups and nonprofits in Kensington have used the neighborhood's empty lots as an opportunity to create community garden spaces. The town of Kensington was named for the area in London known as Kensington, which had been recently established as the residency of the British crown. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. [10], By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in carpet. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know. Fentanyl has devastating withdrawal effects, though. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. No one denies this. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. 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. 550 Kensington Philadelphia Premium High Res Photos However, fentanyl has replaced heroin completely and it is rare that you find anyone using pure heroin in Kensington. Re: Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Building a Philadelphia that works for every neighborhood with a focus on equity, opportunity, efficiency, and inclusion. People are scared to take the train to work. Skidrownews July 1, 2021 12:21 pm Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington Philadelphia Drug & Crime Problems Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. They paint a picture of a poverty zoo. Its how we live. These territorial disputes happen in clear daylight, theres no concern for the repercussions. ', "Kensington residents ask: 'Why would you think this is acceptable for us? 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. A 25-year-old woman was shot once in her left leg. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. 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. Philadelphia is beautiful this time of year : r/tooktoomuch In 2017 developers Shift Capital, in partnership with NKCDC, IMPACT Services Corporation, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce launched the innovative Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge. 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. They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines! Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. 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. The killer is referred to by the media as "The Kensington Strangler". Philadelphia Police Investigating Kensington Double Shooting That You cant walk down the sidewalk, he said. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. [38] However, the decision to close the station "indefinitely" led hundreds of Kensington residents to march from Somerset Station to Allegheny Station in protest, recreating the longer trip many of them had to take to access the MFL since the closure. McPherson Square, the park at the heart of the neighborhood, is home to at least 80 to 100 people every night, said Bill McKinney, executive director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation who lives nearby. It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. [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. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. [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. Progress, even the slightest measures, can have enormous impact. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. Afaik other neighborhoods declined with crack, but Kensington was notable for pills and opiates. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. 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. 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. 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. Kensington Blues is a photography series by Jeffrey Stockbridge, 36, that documented the struggles and the dark reality of local residents. 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. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. Kensington, colloquially known locally as Kenzo, is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. Longtime neighborhood residents, business owners, and some elected officials have been pushing Mayor Kenneys administration to fix the untenable living conditions especially those brought by widespread homelessness. When officials shut down the four bridge encampments between 2018 and 2019, Gladstein said 65% of people went into housing, and of those, more than half remain in housing today. 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. 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. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. Kensington's Recovery Plan - The Philadelphia Citizen Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. For too long, Kensington residents have resorted to other neighborhoods to shop. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. [36] The closure, which happened without consulting with residents and lacked advanced notice,[37] was ostensibly to repair elevators that had been damaged by human waste and trash and concerns about safety for workers. 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. Kensington Drug Boss Convicted at Trial for Supplying Crack and Heroin Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story [32][failed verification] The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. Additionally, there is a large population of homeless individuals. 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. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. Though Kensington addicts seem to think so, the police department pushed back forcefully against this notion. Underpass: Drug Stories from Kensington, Philadelphia - LensCulture Nine years later and were still talking about it. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. 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. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . Groups of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . 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. At A and Indiana, an anxious crowd gathered, their eyes filled with the weary desperation that is so emblematic of addiction. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened - YouTube 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. If you arrest a violent serial killer like the strangler, you know you made a difference. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets. It is not safe . Give your readers the whole story. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. The City of Philadelphia, Police and social services are along Kensington Avenue near Willard Street on Wednesday morning August 18, 2021, clearing the streets of homeless in the center of the opioid epidemic in the city. But a day later, and not far away, on the 1700 block of West Atlantic Street in North Philly, there was bloodshed and death. gdpGdp would never let this happen in whiter, more affluent parts, New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), Phillys hot podcast studio: How two longtime producers are growing the citys audio scene, Tax cuts, a new forensic lab, library service, hotspot help: Takeaways from Mayor Kenneys final city budget proposal, Meet the 10 entrepreneurs vying set up shop inside Philly rec centers, A real art project at Quinta Brunsons former school in West Philly mirrors the Abbott Elementary Mural Arts episode, Former Councilmember Bobby Henon sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for taking bribes, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. 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. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). Photographer Reveals The "Addicted" Side Of Philadelphia | Bored Panda Who is Henry Winklers Son? 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. Answer (1 of 7): I live and minister here as a pastor. This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. Drug dealers at the corners. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. Crack, meth, heroin, oxycodone, weed, percocet, PCP these are all the usual suspects around Kensington Ave. 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. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Help in Kensington - State of Emergency Forgotten by whom? Along with its teeming trade in illicit materials, Kensington is also a highly dangerous neighborhood. Business for Good: Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge Philadelphia's Kensington Avenue: Heroin, Prostitution, and No Police 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 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. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. Not everyone who takes advantage of the trade on Kensington Ave lives nearby, though. Eight months after Kensington's disaster declaration, progress is Soon, it too will house a commercial tenant and NKCDCs new offices. 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. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in late December 2019, heroin abuse in Kensington worsened. Read more ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer by Alfred Lubrano Published Aug 5, 2021 WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. Drawing from community informed strategic plans, they build relationships and provide support business by business. This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. Some people cleared from the street sought out permanent housing or treatment, he said but most of the population wouldnt leave an area where they had easy access to drugs. 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. This energy is not relegated to existing businesses. 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 New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. Commercial revitalization in the form of businesses a community has use for is a powerful weapon. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. 0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. Worse than plain heroin. 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.
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