Kensington was featured in Nat Geos 2013 docu-series, Drugs Inc. in the episode about Philadelphia. [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. [Meta] Sticky Comment. What sort of reprieve Wednesdays action will offer neighbors and business owners remains unclear. More by Max Marin. This Philadelphia neighborhood is said to have the largest open-air heroin market on the East Coast, with many neighbors migrating to the area for heroin and other opioids. From there, drug dens sprung up across the neighborhood and allowed for gangs to breed in the area. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Corridor vacancy, lower costs of real estate, and dedicated community groups and entrepreneurs make for an attractive location. They paint a picture of a poverty zoo. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. If you arrest a violent serial killer like the strangler, you know you made a difference. Progress, even the slightest measures, can have enormous impact. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. On Wednesday, Steve, a 30-year-old fentanyl user who declined to give his last name, said he sympathized with the residents plight. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. 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? WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. 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. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). This Philadelphia neighborhood is said to have the largest open-air heroin market on the East Coast, with many neighbors migrating to the area for heroin and other opioids. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? The few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. 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. Drug dealers at the corners. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. [32][failed verification] The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. 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 It is similar to Central Kensington but is slightly quieter and has fewer crimes. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. 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. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. 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. 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? Several men rush to be the first to make a dollar selling her a syringe. 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). Ironically, even some addicts on Kensington Avenue dont believe in legalization. I n the underworld of Philadelphia, beneath the elevated subway line along Kensington Avenue, tears were as prevalent as needles. 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. 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. Soon, thanks to this effort and efforts like it, they wont have to. 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. Now home to fifty-one residents, this former source of blight is transformed to a beacon of hope. The Daily Beast spent a night at this open-air market for pills and needles, talking to users and prostitutes about whats come to pass for normalcy in Kensington: hard-core drug use without police interference. Sections of the neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing drug addiction and/or homelessness. In his first budget, the Mayor worked closely with City Council to fund bold anti-poverty initiatives. 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 government has shown attempts at trying. There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since. The intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues (commonly referred to by Philadelphians as "K & A") is a major transportation and retail hub in the Kensington neighborhood, as it is served by the Frankford Elevated portion of the MarketFrankford Line which, running on top of Kensington Avenue, dominates the intersection. Many now-users originally sought out street drugs due to injuries or post-surgery pains and couldnt afford the legal medicines to soothe their pain. This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. 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. [39], The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. 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. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. 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. 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 drug is even cheaper to produce and procure than fentanyl and is more dangerous in the sense that Narcan is not effective against overdoses. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. There still is no answer for the full number of people out here, McKinney said. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. You can see people with there faces smashed. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. 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. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. Its an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. 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. Commercial revitalization in the form of businesses a community has use for is a powerful weapon. The whole city, its always a battle for space, and any open space is going to get filled., Love Philly? 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. It has always had the El train that runs straight through Kensington. 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. "[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. He also sold to recent German fishermen immigrants. Kensington and Cambria. You cant walk down the sidewalk, he said. 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. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. The conflict between clean residents and dealers can escalate, sometimes so high that a person once threw a Molotov cocktail through a residents window. The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. 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. Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. 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. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. 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. People are scared to take the train to work. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134). 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. 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. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. 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. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. 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. The stranglers final victim, a prostitute named Casey Mahoney, was murdered here. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city . Look, he says, junkies got rights, too. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. Groups of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. 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. Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). Addicts can be found in the woods along the Tracks openly cooking and shooting drugs in broad daylight, a daily occurrence that indicates this is territory clearly forsaken by the law. The influx of immigrants and low-income households many of whom were unaware of the drug situation, or were forced to ignore it due to the stark affordability has made little difference in gentrifying the area. 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.. 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. Parts of the neighborhood lie in the 177th or 197th Districts, represented by Joseph C. Hohenstein and Danilo Burgos respectively. 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. You have to bring services to addicts, offer them treatment. Nobody rousts or arrests the line of addicts nodded out in full view in the gutter. Not everyone who takes advantage of the trade on Kensington Ave lives nearby, though. 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. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. No one denies this. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened.. 14 19 . 4 2023 , ! 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?. Looks not far from K&A, the intersection of Kensington and Alleghany Ave. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in 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. 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. Gun shots are heard at night. At stake in all this, is the soul of a place where Philadelphians have made a living, shopped and socialized for generations. 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. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. The killer is referred to by the media as "The Kensington Strangler". Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. 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. Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. [37] The station was reopened on April 5 with increased police presence. 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. This isnt a Kensington problem, he said. 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. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis,[9] 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 Delaware River). The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. 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.