Parts of it were once called the 'Badlands' and it is hell on earth. 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. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a "hellscape." 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. A recent piece chronicles the authors adventures day drinking in forgotten Philadelphia. 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 few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. Drug dealers at the corners. Frankford Avenue Baptist Church, 2347-49 Frankford Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (1889). Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Philadelphia is known for its rich history, cheesesteak, and love for the Eagles. Max Winkler is an American director, writer and producer and is also the son of legendary actor Henry Winker. 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 . Its a place where many admit they dont want to be, but cant get away from. The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue the city shut them down one by one, vowing improvement at every step of the way. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. 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. kensington ave philadelphia - summer daytime compilation GDPGDP 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. 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. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. My name is Mariska and I'm living my best life while living the van life. In Philadelphia's Kensington district, home to one of the largest open-air drug markets in the United States, crowds of sellers and buyers flock to corners as if there never were a pandemic. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. Its so well known that a simple Google search for really bad drug areas brings it up. "[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 once lived in the infamous Emerald Street encampment in Kensington, and saw how its closure in 2019 just shuffled people to other areas. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. Along with its teeming trade in illicit materials, Kensington is also a highly dangerous neighborhood. 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. 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. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. This should not be ignored, and is, in fact, impossible to avoid. At first fentanyl was used as a cutting agent to lets dealers water down their heroin with a cheaper alternative to make more money. Since Mayor Jim Kenney took office in 2015, encampment closures in the name of public health and safety have been a near constant in Kensington. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. It is similar to Central Kensington but is slightly quieter and has fewer crimes. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Kensington (the Heart of Kensington), Harrowgate, Lower Kensington, West Kensington. Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes, Philadelphia local news: Neighborhoods, politics, food, and fun, Get Philly smart with BPs free daily newsletter. But since Januarywhen 22-year-old Antonio Rodriguez, a PCP-smoking petty drug dealer from the notorious adjoining Badlands neighborhood, was arrested and charged with the murdersaddicts say that police have retreated, leaving them to do their drugs in relative peace. No one denies this. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown. 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. Of the non-Hispanic or Latino population, 19% is White, 15.1% is Black or African American, 3.6% is Asian, and 2.2% identify as two or more races. 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. A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. The number of drug overdose . Many of these residents dont have homes. In his first budget, the Mayor worked closely with City Council to fund bold anti-poverty initiatives. These territorial disputes happen in clear daylight, theres no concern for the repercussions. The square is home to the neighborhoods library, many of whose bookkeepers regularly run out with Narcan to help prevent overdoses. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey does not support it; no one in this department does. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. Yet the city has promised zero tolerance for encampments before, and the crackdowns have not yielded a long term solution. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . Many died there. What sort of reprieve Wednesdays action will offer neighbors and business owners remains unclear. 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. Users flock to the scene. Neighborhood residents have raged against City Hall for years over the litany of woes from drug dealing to missed trash collection. Agraduate of Temple University, he has produced award-winning journalism on local politics, criminal justice, immigration There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. 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. All About Max Winkler. Most encampment residents had moved out from the former site before Wednesday morning. While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. 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 situation toward Allegheny Avenue grew even more intense after SEPTA briefly closed the Somerset El stop in January. There have been many petitions by residents to take care of Kensington. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. But a day later, and not far away, on the 1700 block of West Atlantic Street in North Philly, there was bloodshed and death. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. This lack of message parity is harmful to the corridor. Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia is infamous for drug abuse and prostitution. 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. 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. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. [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. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. 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. Heroin isnt sold here muchthat trade is controlled by Latin drug crews in the Badlands. 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. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. Forgotten by whom? As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. 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. Kensington Blues is a photography series by Jeffrey Stockbridge, 36, that documented the struggles and the dark reality of local residents. 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. Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. 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 area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. Addicts say. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. It has one of the largest rates of shootings in the city and is the scene of many murders. The problem is that Kensington Avenue is largely unseen by Philadelphians. Fentanyl has devastating withdrawal effects, though. 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. Philadelphias police force is inarguably overwhelmed by the scope of the citys addiction problems. 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. 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. PHILADELPHIA - Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ricardo Carrion, a.k.a. February 28, 2023 Police seek person who cut Comcast lines on Super Bowl Sunday, causing panic among Eagles fans Approximately 17,000 Xfinity customers in Fishtown and Kensington were affected by . But about 15 people remained around 8 a.m., many shielding their faces from news cameras as outreach workers helped them fill plastic bins with their belongings. Some merchants, like Widdy Darts, a 108-year-old dartboard manufacturer, have been that way for a long time. Progress, even the slightest measures, can have enormous impact. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city . Theres gotta be somewhere you could put your tent, a park, an area, some sort of designated spot, Meyer said. City data supporting those numbers was not readily available. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. Now home to fifty-one residents, this former source of blight is transformed to a beacon of hope. On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). The white residents fled to the suburbs and people of color and limited means moved in. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. You have to bring services to addicts, offer them treatment. More recently fentanyl is being replaced with an animal tranquilizer called Xylazine or Tranq. 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. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. 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. 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 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. As of right now, I dont think anyone is confident that theres any sort of larger plan that can account for each person.. More by Max Marin. McNeil Laboratories began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. Theres a significant number of people who commute to this space to pick up what they need, making the residual effects of the narcotic empire spread far and wide. There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. Worse than plain heroin. Disinvestment and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some sections of the neighborhood, catalyzing several grassroots actions from its residents. [40] In Kensington, most residents have opposed the plans and organized against the site being located in Kensington, including leaders of five civic organizations in the area. . 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. Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. [Meta] Sticky Comment. Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] [37] The station was reopened on April 5 with increased police presence. However, the drug market remained decentralized, running through small groups of dealers that were harder to prosecute than, say, a crime syndicate. The Avenue runs 3 miles through what is now a dangerous and crime-ridden neighborhood. But arresting heroin addicts? 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. [41] However, some residents and many harm reduction advocates in the area are supportive.[35][42]. They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines! According to Philadelphia Police, the accident happened at 3300 Kensington Avenue in the Kensington section of Philly. Official estimates vary as to how many people are living on Kensingtons streets. 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. Kensington was featured in Nat Geos 2013 docu-series, Drugs Inc. in the episode about Philadelphia. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. link to Whatever Happened To Natalie Raitano. The avenue runs on a north/south slant and unofficially includes the neighborhoods of Kensington, East and West Kensington, Fairhill, Port Richmond, and Olde Richmond. 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. Additionally, there is a large population of homeless individuals. 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. 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.. The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are searching for two suspects who are wanted in connection with a violent carjacking earlier this week. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham said. Estimates vary between 300 and 650 people living on the street. Dozens upon dozens of people lived there. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. It is not safe . 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. '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. 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. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. This is Kensington Ave my friend. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since. 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. 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. Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. 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. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. Folks are going to migrate to wherever they can go, McKinney said. ', "Kensington residents ask: 'Why would you think this is acceptable for us? [56], In 2010, three women (Elaine Goldberg, 21; Nicole Piacentini, 35; and Casey Mahoney, 27) were strangled to death in the neighborhood. Each program mixes interviews with guest travel experts, your call-ins with questions and comments, and music. Several men rush to be the first to make a dollar selling her a syringe. Multiple people injured after crash in Kensington. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. Suffice to say it is not a place to go at night. Kensington has become a welter of crisscrossing needs and opinions, a civic puzzle no one's been able to solve. Almost half of the neighborhoods residents live below the poverty line. [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. It is this sort of activism, buoyed by engaged (and zoning savvy!) Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. Youre out there talking to junkies with a couple ounces of drugs in them who cant be trusted to make a lucid statement.. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you . Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. Jackie is missing. Google Maps borders for Kensington show it including much of what is considered Fishtown and excludes West Kensington. 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). Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks.