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. From there, drug dens sprung up across the neighborhood and allowed for gangs to breed in the area. 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. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. 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. Kensington Drug Boss Convicted at Trial for Supplying Crack and Heroin The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (188082). In 2017 developers Shift Capital, in partnership with NKCDC, IMPACT Services Corporation, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce launched the innovative Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge. 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. 550 Kensington Philadelphia Premium High Res Photos Philadelphia is known for its rich history, cheesesteak, and love for the Eagles. 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. Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Kensington (the Heart of Kensington), Harrowgate, Lower Kensington, West Kensington. Then enter opiates. More simply, some define Kensington as the triangular area bounded by Erie Avenue to the north, Front Street (and sometimes Fifth Street) to the West, and Trenton Avenue to the East. Two men nodded in a drug-addled stupor on a sidewalk on 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. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets. All About Max Winkler. 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. civic associations and business alliances, which instills hope that development will be inclusive. Ironically, even some addicts on Kensington Avenue dont believe in legalization. McPherson Square is the heart of Kensington. The area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. In 2017, officials moved to raze a large-scale encampment known as El Campamento that had long existed, hidden out of sight along the Conrail train tracks. [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. The Walmart of Heroin: Update on Drugs in Kensington 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 . 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. You have to do [legalization] right if youre going to do it, otherwise you create more problems, says Franklin of LEAP. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. '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. What happened to Kensington, Philadelphia? Are most of the - Quora They declared a statewide disaster over the drug epidemic in 2017. A quick search brings up a plethora of articles outlining the ongoing issues Kensington faces, the overdose rates and weekly deaths. 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? Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). [Meta] Sticky Comment. In Philly, Will More Police Officers Reduce Gun Violence? 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. In the absence of a larger plan, he was certain those encampments would grow in the coming weeks. Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. Give your readers the whole story. Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. As of right now, I dont think anyone is confident that theres any sort of larger plan that can account for each person.. Construction has started on Penns Landing park over I-95 highway trench. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington Avenue. initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. 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. [35][citation needed]. Things just got worse, and more violent, the more we arrested people.. Clifton Mills, Building 4, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue . Fishtown, formerly a small subsection of Kensington, has transformed with a new population of more college educated white people as well as increased investment from real estate developers. Multiple people were injured after a messy crash in the Kensington section of the city. "PR," age 41, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted at trial of all counts with which he was charged, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute crack and heroin, arising from his leadership role in supplying a drug . We talk about our favorite travels in Europe, as well as travel anywhere in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The government has shown attempts at trying. [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. There is a common criticism that officials would never let this happen in whiter, more affluent parts of the city. The problem is that Kensington Avenue is largely unseen by Philadelphians. It is known for pawn shops and check-cashing joints. 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. They were en route to more serious crimes going down to the west in the Badlands. Help in Kensington - State of Emergency 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. Each program mixes interviews with guest travel experts, your call-ins with questions and comments, and music. On Wednesday, Steve, a 30-year-old fentanyl user who declined to give his last name, said he sympathized with the residents plight. Overnight, people are getting stabbed. Underpass: Drug Stories from Kensington, Philadelphia - LensCulture Also alarming is Philadelphia's drug overdose rate. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave. Story. This is Kensington Ave my friend. That camp was cleared, and another formed. 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. 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. Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey does not support it; no one in this department does. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in late December 2019, heroin abuse in Kensington worsened. 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 decision has saved the city millions, and won cheers nationwide from drug-law reformers. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. 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. Several men rush to be the first to make a dollar selling her a syringe.