These merchants do not need your pity, they want your business, and they deserve to be taken seriously. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. 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. Underpass: Drug Stories from Kensington, Philadelphia - LensCulture 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. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East, or Lower Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. 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. [59] [60]. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. Is Philadelphia's Kensington section safe? - Quora 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. "The blocks [where drug dealing takes place] never closed," said Christine Russo, 38, who's been using heroin for seven years. Central Kensington, or "the Heart of Kensington" as it is called in a recent Impact Services neighborhood plan,[6] stretches along Kensington Avenue from Tusculum and Somerset Streets to Tioga Street (see Impact Services plan[6] for a more accurate map). 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. [34], Kensington is home to a large population homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from addiction. 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.#SBCNews Kensington Drug Boss Convicted at Trial for Supplying Crack and Heroin Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. [55] It is also known as an area of prostitution. This number is shockingly low compared to the overall Philadelphia average of $122,113 but is still better compared to previous years. 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. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. And public homelessness ranks high on the list of concerns. Re: Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Building a Philadelphia that works for every neighborhood with a focus on equity, opportunity, efficiency, and inclusion. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham 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. Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. 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. Each program mixes interviews with guest travel experts, your call-ins with questions and comments, and music. The most conservative boundaries of the neighborhood, shown in the map below, 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. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. 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. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. 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. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened on Monday, June 28 2021 For too long, Kensington residents have resorted to other neighborhoods to shop. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . 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. 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. 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. Philadelphia Kensington Avenue, What happened.. 14 19 . 4 2023 , ! Folks are going to migrate to wherever they can go, McKinney said. [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. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. 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. In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. 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. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. 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. Even Dr. Oz took the time to show us a Kensington Avenue as a "hellscape." As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. [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 stake in all this, is the soul of a place where Philadelphians have made a living, shopped and socialized for generations. 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. 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. The U.S. 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. 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. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. He also sold to recent German fishermen immigrants. gdpGdp 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. Philadelphia, PA - Eight-Vehicle Collision Leads to Injuries on Business for Good: Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North Philadelphia. 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. They paint a picture of a poverty zoo. 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. All About Max Winkler. 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. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. Video captures violent Philadelphia carjacking on Kensington Avenue; 2 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). [32][failed verification] The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. 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. Jackie is missing. More by Max Marin. On January 4, 2016, Jim Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. 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. 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. Well probably have a detail stationed [there], Alexander said. MeekMill on Twitter: "Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. Give your readers the whole story. This is probably one of the most drug infested streets in Philadelphia. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. Parts of it were once called the 'Badlands' and it is hell on earth. The few other businesses Chinese take outs and Irish pubs have missing persons signs hung in the windows. During our visit, addicts casually moved in and out, bringing and injecting their Badlands-bought heroin. Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. 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. The Avenue runs 3 miles through what is now a dangerous and crime-ridden neighborhood. 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. Worse than plain heroin. Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. There still is no answer for the full number of people out here, McKinney said. Last year alone, Kensington Avenue was approved for over ten SIP grants to renovate commercial facades, which, when complete, will literally change the face of the corridor. The problem is that Kensington Avenue is largely unseen by Philadelphians. Kensington and Cambria. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks. 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. Neighborhood residents have raged against City Hall for years over the litany of woes from drug dealing to missed trash collection. 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. Theres gotta be somewhere you could put your tent, a park, an area, some sort of designated spot, Meyer said. 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. The drugs are just too cheap and too accessible. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. (2021 Crime Rates And Crime Stats), Is Pittsburgh Safe To Visit? [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. At first fentanyl was used as a cutting agent to lets dealers water down their heroin with a cheaper alternative to make more money. Neighbors raised alarms about addicts bringing violent sex crimes to the blocks where families live. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in late December 2019, heroin abuse in Kensington worsened. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, June 23-24, 2022. Philadelphia officials developed what they call the "encampment resolution" process in 2017 after the city swept a . Words such "hopeless" and "dystopian" punctuate an endless scrawl of depressing articles. Anything else is tantamount to poverty porn and disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to making Kensington Avenue a better place. Max Marin (he/him) was Billy Penn's investigative reporter from 2018 to 2021. The stranglers final victim, a prostitute named Casey Mahoney, was murdered here. While the moniker Killadelphia implies gangland warfare, Kensington is plagued by another culprit: the drug trade. Despite what you may read, Kensington Avenue is open for business, and there are plenty of reasons to visit the Avenue. This summer, the Philadelphia Police Department canceled seven blocks in the area due to safety concerns. 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. It is known for pawn shops and check-cashing joints. 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.. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington Avenue. It is craft fully omitted, in lieu of the salacious and the tragic. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! Philly's Kensington is a zombie apocalypse ignored by Biden on city visit Some even offer free samples. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. [57] Rodriguez confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. Kensington homeless encampments are set for Aug. 18 clear-out. Many The number of drug overdose . This is Kensington Ave my friend. Now home to fifty-one residents, this former source of blight is transformed to a beacon of hope. Personal items will be held in city storage for 30 days, officials said. What happened to Kensington, Philadelphia? Are most of the - Quora The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. Police confirmed that a total of eight vehicles became involved in a messy collision in the [] A recent piece chronicles the authors adventures day drinking in forgotten Philadelphia. Strong community groups and nonprofits in Kensington have used the neighborhood's empty lots as an opportunity to create community garden spaces. 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. 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 increase in violent crime, homelessness, and out-of-control drug use in Kensington are far greater threats to residents of Philadelphia. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. Kensington Avenue's ghoulish world of addiction and prostitution exists outside the law. 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. Yellowstone vs Zion: Which National Park Should I Visit? Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape.

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