The white residents fled to the suburbs and people of color and limited means moved in. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Kensington Independent Civic Association), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 14:40. (Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Top 10 Things To Do In Harleysville, PA In 2022, Top 11 Things To Do In McDonald, PA In 2022. link to Who is Henry Winklers Son? [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. [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. McKinney, of the New Kensington CDC, said the successful rehousing services touted by officials during these clearouts 10 people here, 20 people there are modest in the scope of the crisis. Nine years later and were still talking about it. This lack of message parity is harmful to the corridor. Philadelphia, PA (February 26, 2023) - After noon on Sunday, February 26, a serious eight-vehicle collision with injuries took place in Philadelphia. Kensington Hospital for Women, 128-40 Diamond Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles, 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. Second Associate Presbyterian Church, 1523-25 N. Front Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (185254). 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. . Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. kimgary 263K subscribers Subscribe 24K Share 3M views 1 year ago Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021. Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia is infamous for drug abuse and prostitution. One such is the cluster of businesses just off the Huntingdon Market Frankford Line stop, where two of Phillys best Vietnamese restaurants, Thang Long Noodle Restaurant and Caf Pho Gha Than Than reside. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. At first fentanyl was used as a cutting agent to lets dealers water down their heroin with a cheaper alternative to make more money. There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. [8] People suffering from addiction and/or homelessness concentrate around the Somerset and Allegheny train stations, in nearby parks, and on residential streets, angering long-term residents. At 3525 Kensington Avenue, right in the middle of the block, Sherimane Johnson will open Naturally Sweet Desserts, a vegan cafe and bakery that will deliver all over the city and be open all day for local residents. 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?. [15][16][17], Listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[18], Kensington has a population of approximately 42,000 people according to data from ASC 2020 survey. Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. 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. They marched from Kensington to Oyster Bay, New York, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines! Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. Yet the city has promised zero tolerance for encampments before, and the crackdowns have not yielded a long term solution. (2021 Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Is Pittsburgh Safe To Visit? As momentum grows, more and more entrepreneurs are looking at Kensington Avenue as a viable corridor for their businesses. "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 . Gun shots are heard at night. 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. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from Barbados. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas.1 Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. Over the next two years, the city closed down four highly visible "tent cities" that grew along a series of underpasses. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. 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. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. Last month, the city announced plans to clear out two of the larger encampments: one just north of K&A, the other about a mile south on Lehigh Avenue. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city . As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. 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. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Mattresses lie in the mud along the railway where prostitutes trick, and rapes and assaults are common. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. Suffice to say it is not a place to go at night. Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. 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. Parts of it were once called the 'Badlands' and it is hell on earth. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. A textile factory will feature apartments and commercial space. The square is home to the neighborhoods library, many of whose bookkeepers regularly run out with Narcan to help prevent overdoses. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. Its an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. [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. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. History set Kensington up for a steady decline. The area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. As of right now, I dont think anyone is confident that theres any sort of larger plan that can account for each person.. If you arrest a violent serial killer like the strangler, you know you made a difference. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. [56], In 2010, three women (Elaine Goldberg, 21; Nicole Piacentini, 35; and Casey Mahoney, 27) were strangled to death in the neighborhood. A silver Toyota pulls up to the curb and a heavy-set blonde hops out. Not by the thousands who call it home and certainly not by the merchants who, every day, open their businesses. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street (189091). Well probably have a detail stationed [there], Alexander said. At A and Indiana, an anxious crowd gathered, their eyes filled with the weary desperation that is so emblematic of addiction. [7] Police, after a year and a half, removed these encampments causing its residents to spread up Kensington Avenue. 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. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. 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. Natalie Raitano is a fitness instructor and former actress who is most famously known for her role on the show V.I.P. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. Compared to the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles, Kensingtons homeless problem doesnt seem as bad. We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. 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 . 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. kimgary 267K subscribers Subscribe 5.3M views 1 year ago Show more 1.9M views New Orleans Tourist Traps and Things to. Look, he says, junkies got rights, too. This is Kensington Ave my friend. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. 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 . Not everyone who takes advantage of the trade on Kensington Ave lives nearby, though. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. 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. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. Parents will walk their children to the bus stop, even if it can be seen from their front door, and wait there with them until the bus comes. 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. 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. Kensington Avenue's ghoulish world of addiction and prostitution exists outside the law. Worse than plain heroin. Anything else is tantamount to poverty porn and disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to making Kensington Avenue a better place. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. [5] The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. civic associations and business alliances, which instills hope that development will be inclusive. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. 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. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. During my career I concluded we werent making a dent in drug addiction or related crime. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. Whos got works? she calls out to nobody in particular. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? 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. It is not safe . Many died there. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. All About Max Winkler. Progress, even the slightest measures, can have enormous impact. City data supporting those numbers was not readily available. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. Were trying to make sure people are attaching to services rather than moving, Gladstein said. It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. 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. Im out here too, and I think its fucking insanity. But the Tracks, like Kensington Avenue, resemble a libertarian utopia gone wrong. Many of these residents dont have homes. Afterward, the city repaired a single section of iron fencing in a feeble attempt to seal the area, but enclosing structures at multiple other access points had collapsed. Its a place where many admit they dont want to be, but cant get away from. Just before 5 p.m. the following day, in the 2100 block of North 20th Street, police found Dawson Johnson . But users who buy in the Badlands come to Kensington to shoot up. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. 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. [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. Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. The situation feels like its at a breaking point for some. 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. According to Philadelphia Police, the accident happened at 3300 Kensington Avenue in the Kensington section of Philly. Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States, primarily white young urban professionals, H.W. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 10K 1.4M views 1 year ago #SBCNews. Though Kensington addicts seem to think so, the police department pushed back forcefully against this notion. The number of drug overdose . They tried to institute safe-injection sites, where users can shoot up without fear of prosecution. The conflict between clean residents and dealers can escalate, sometimes so high that a person once threw a Molotov cocktail through a residents window. Every day Jorge Rosario, 52, a resident of the Kensington section Philadelphia cleans the sidewalk along the 2700 block of Kensington Ave., Philadelphia. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. The dualities are stark; Kensington is still an avenue of pain and trauma, ground zero for the opioid crisis, prostitution, and poverty. But arresting heroin addicts? PHILADELPHIA - Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ricardo Carrion, a.k.a. 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. 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. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. Jackie is missing. The cap will be home to nearly 12 acres of parkland and seamlessly connect Old City to the Delaware River waterfront at Penns Landing. Heroin isnt sold here muchthat trade is controlled by Latin drug crews in the Badlands. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened.. 14 19 . 4 2023 , ! 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.. In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. Kensington was the birthplace of the K&A Gang, an Irish American organized crime association known for their distribution of methamphetamine in the 1980s. I cant just arrest someone for hanging out on a stoop looking like theyre high on drugs., Even if Philadelphia hasnt officially decriminalized drug use in Kensington, the citys addicts are well aware that this is a place where they can get high without police harassment. The 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. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. Those of us who work and have worked in this community are routinely disappointed by these narratives, and the merchants on Kensington Avenue have their livelihood betrayed by them. They gotta do something about it, and this is coming from someone whos homeless living on the street., Out on the Kensington Avenue this morning, where just north of K&A homeless outreach workers and police begin to clear out yet another encampment. Subs are Suboxone, a pill containing buprenophine, a drug that eases the pain of heroin withdrawal. 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. People are scared to take the train to work. Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? 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. (Instead of a paywall). They were en route to more serious crimes going down to the west in the Badlands. 0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. However, sensationalizing poverty, fetishizing small businesses, and minimizing the collective efforts of a community on the rise are the cheap tactics of bad journalists. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington. 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.