It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North Philadelphia. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. Im out here too, and I think its fucking insanity. They tried to institute safe-injection sites, where users can shoot up without fear of prosecution. 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. More by Max Marin. 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. [59] [60]. kensington ave philadelphia - summer daytime compilation GDPGDP Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. Parks in and adjacent to the neighborhood include Harrowgate Park, McPherson Square, Hope Park, Fairhill Square Park, Norris Square Park, Mascher Park, Frankford Avenue Garden, Arcadia Commons, Trenton and Auburn Park, Letterly Green, Emerald Park, Konrad Square, and Palmer Park. More recently fentanyl is being replaced with an animal tranquilizer called Xylazine or Tranq. But despite its joys, a neighborhood called Kensington made a name for itself as home to the nation's highest rates of heroin overdoses. 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. 0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. This train starts at Bridge st. From Frankford , Juanita, Kensington and Fishtown. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, (Short Clip #53) Monday, Sept 6, 2021. My name is Mariska and I'm living my best life while living the van life. 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. What sort of reprieve Wednesdays action will offer neighbors and business owners remains unclear. Officers will issue code violation notices and try to prevent new spots from forming. The situation toward Allegheny Avenue grew even more intense after SEPTA briefly closed the Somerset El stop in January. Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. 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. "[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. Just a few blocks away, the Kensington Storefront, a collaboration between Impact Services, NKCDC, Mural Arts, Prevention Point Philadelphia and The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), transformed an abandoned Cricket Wireless Store into a hub for arts-based community events, trainings, and meetings. 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, What happened Today, October, 05, 2021. kimgary 266K subscribers 348K views 1 year ago Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). Despite research on the positive effects of these sites, the Trump administration blocked them from being established. Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Maria D. Quiones Snchez is the Councilmember for District 7. 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. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). A new phase of the Wayne Junction revitalization plan is underway. 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 case was dropped in July. A silver Toyota pulls up to the curb and a heavy-set blonde hops out. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Not by the thousands who call it home and certainly not by the merchants who, every day, open their businesses. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. 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. When we can make the right connection for people, its really successful, Gladstein said. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. West Kensington is similar to Norris Square and Fairhill in that it has a similar demographic to most of Kensington while having a more North Central Philadelphia identity,[citation needed] but unlike the other two neighborhoods it remains certainly part of Kensington. Philadelphias District Attorney Seth Williams risked backlash from hardcore law-and-order types when he recently stopped criminally prosecuting minor marijuana offenses. The increase in violent crime, homelessness, and out-of-control drug use in Kensington are far greater threats to residents of Philadelphia. Some merchants, like Widdy Darts, a 108-year-old dartboard manufacturer, have been that way for a long time. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. "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 . Estimates vary between 300 and 650 people living on the street. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. 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. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. 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. 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. Multiple people injured after crash in Kensington. The storefront challenge is a proactive answer to the inequity created by corridor vacancy. [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. While Kensington is still the centralized location in Philadelphia for buying and using drugs, some community members, like Bingham, don't believe the neighborhood is the ideal place to get treatment and maintain recovery. It was a scene that rivaled the aftermath of a storm, its victims caught up in forces that leave many hungry, homeless and hopeless. Community garden spaces in and around the neighborhood include Kensington Corridor Trust Community Garden, NKCDC Garden, Las Parcelas - Norris Square, El Batey - Norris Square, Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden, Emerald Street Community Farm, Rainbow Park, House of Grace Community Garden, Port Kensington, Hart Lane Farm, Circle of Hope / Frankford Ave Garden. 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. 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. You can see people with there faces smashed. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. 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. Impact Services and NKCDC collaborate with the shared goal to better the avenue that cuts through multiple neighborhoods. [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. Many died there. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. They paint a picture of a poverty zoo. 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. The help is there, but its not enough. The problem is that Kensington Avenue is largely unseen by Philadelphians. PHILADELPHIA - Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ricardo Carrion, a.k.a. It is known for pawn shops and check-cashing joints. 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. Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue . Philadelphias police force is inarguably overwhelmed by the scope of the citys addiction problems. Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. Many progressives endorse the idea of allowing addicts to get high in certain sections of cities without fear of arrest. Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis, 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 . The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. [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. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . Addictions a medical problem; cops dont want to deal with that. Ever since the strangler, addict Will Sims says, we do everything out in the open and the cops are cool with it. Several other addicts out here concur: The reason for all the bustle is that Kensington Avenue has become a drug-bust-free zone. Kensington has become a welter of crisscrossing needs and opinions, a civic puzzle no one's been able to solve. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. They have attempted to clean up the neighborhoods, planting trees and replacing broken street lights. [35][citation needed]. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. 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. 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. For too long, Kensington residents have resorted to other neighborhoods to shop. 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. The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. The generally accepted boundaries of the neighborhood[citation needed] 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. "You can't buy, use, and recover in the same neighborhood," Bingham said. The situation feels like its at a breaking point for some. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. These are bakeries, daycares, artist spaces, and coffee roasters; businesses selected to draw foot traffic and fill much-needed service gaps. Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). Some residents of Kensington wont go out without driving, not wanting to walk through the neighborhood despite living there. Most encampment residents had moved out from the former site before Wednesday morning. These sites have proven to avoid overdoses and connect users to long-term help. Groups of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Asian Americans also make up the neighborhood. 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. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. Kensington Avenue is infamously regarded as 'the largest open-air drug market on East Coast' In 2019, the city removed four encampments in the area that was known to be frequented by drug. 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. Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. These merchants do not need your pity, they want your business, and they deserve to be taken seriously. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for Kensington. 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. [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. Since then, drug activity and homelessness has intensified in the shadow of the El between the Somerset and Allegheny stops on the Market-Frankford Line. Its how we live. As of right now, I dont think anyone is confident that theres any sort of larger plan that can account for each person.. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you . 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.