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0:00 / 25:40 Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave, Here's What Happened Today, Saturday, Sept 11, 2021. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. More recently fentanyl is being replaced with an animal tranquilizer called Xylazine or Tranq. They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. It is this sort of activism, buoyed by engaged (and zoning savvy!) The camp was cleared, the people chose new spots in the neighborhood to overrun with used needles, overdoses, and trash. The number of drug overdose . 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. You cant walk down the sidewalk, he said. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. People are scared to take the train to work. Between the two encampments targeted on Wednesday, half a dozen other spots continue to grow. Different tactics are required for each site, depending on whether its public or private property, he said. 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 2015, 295 people have been shot within a five minute walk of Kensington and Allegheny, a busy intersection at the heart of the neighborhood, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer analysis. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. Please give today. Addicts duck into vacant lots on the Avenue after returning from dope corners a couple of blocks away and, barely concealed by high weeds, casually cook and shoot speedballs. I also undertook strategies to address chronic issues of blight and vacancy. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. During my three years managing commercial corridors for theThe New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), on Kensington Avenue and several other business thoroughfares, I got to know the small business owners, civic associations, and other stakeholders working every day to revitalize the local economy. Overnight, people are getting stabbed. Heriza became interested in Kensington after seeing a 2018 article in the New York Times magazine about the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. Safehouse, a nonprofit founded in 2018 with the purpose of opening the first supervised injection site in the country, sought a location in Kensington after their proposed South Philly location ran into opposition from neighbors of the site. Were trying to make sure people are attaching to services rather than moving, Gladstein said. The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. But arresting heroin addicts? 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. [35][citation needed]. There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. City data supporting those numbers was not readily available. The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract. A rail-thin woman with hollowed-out cheeks rushed from beneath the El tracks. 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. McNeil Laboratories began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. Kensington and Cambria. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. All About Max Winkler. That camp was cleared, and another formed. This is a regional problem that Kensington is very graciously dealing with., Nice to see you. 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. It was a scene that rivaled the aftermath of a storm, its victims caught up in forces that leave many hungry, homeless and hopeless. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. Kensington Avenue also benefits from the non-profit organizations operating there. During the hunt for the strangler, the area was flooded with cops. It happened just after 12 p.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Kensington Avenue. 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? Dealers stand out in the open, hawking their wares. According to police, the man was transported to Temple. August 18, 2021 / 5:22 PM / CBS Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City officials broke up a homeless encampment in Kensington Wednesday afternoon, with outreach teams tearing down the. All About Max Winkler. 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. Its so well known that a simple Google search for really bad drug areas brings it up. 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. City housing officials say 300; police estimated over 650 people this summer. Kensington is home to a large population of Hispanic Americans, mainly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and African Americans. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. [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. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. [55] It is also known as an area of prostitution. Im out here too, and I think its fucking insanity. At 4 p.m. on January 15, police found Jevon Gillette, 47, with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and thigh. The square is home to the neighborhoods library, many of whose bookkeepers regularly run out with Narcan to help prevent overdoses. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. 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. At A and Indiana, an anxious crowd gathered, their eyes filled with the weary desperation that is so emblematic of addiction. 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. Its mid-century decline due to deindustrialization paralyzed Kensington. Or theyre just going to go to the back streets.. The stranglers final victim, a prostitute named Casey Mahoney, was murdered here. Things just got worse, and more violent, the more we arrested people.. 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 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. A "person of interest" in the case, Antonio Rodriguez, was arrested in January 2011. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. Parts of the neighborhood lie in the 177th or 197th Districts, represented by Joseph C. Hohenstein and Danilo Burgos respectively. Watch on Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington Philadelphia Drug & Crime Problems Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. [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. People are hanging out everywhere, turning tricks and working petty hustles. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. The United States Post Office operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave.[47] The U.S. 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. Kensington has become a welter of crisscrossing needs and opinions, a civic puzzle no one's been able to solve. According to Philadelphia Police, the accident happened at 3300 Kensington Avenue in the Kensington section of Philly. [Kensington] presents a prime opportunity for a heroin maintenance program where addicts could get heroin legally, safely, and free of cost so they dont commit robberies and other crimes to support their habits. 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. Suffice to say it is not a place to go at night. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What happened today, Aug, 2021. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. However, sensationalizing poverty, fetishizing small businesses, and minimizing the collective efforts of a community on the rise are the cheap tactics of bad journalists. "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 . Kensington was featured in Nat Geos 2013 docu-series, Drugs Inc. in the episode about Philadelphia. The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were previously included but have developed new identities with gentrification. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. We have four outreach teams out in Kensington every day. 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. They draw a diverse crowd: tight-pantsed hipsters and long-time residents alike enjoy the delicious food in equal measure. Philadelphia is known for its rich history, cheesesteak, and love for the Eagles. These self-described low-bottom dope fiends havent bathed recently, and many have been running and gunning around the clock for days, selling needles and prescription pills, or prostituting on the Avenue to hustle up enough money for another bag of heroin. Mayor Jim Kenney is possibly one of the worse mayor in the Philadelphia history and does nothing to stop it. (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? As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time and are disputed among locals. 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. 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. Parts of it were once called the 'Badlands' and it is hell on earth. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space. Stop writing about Kensington Avenue like its Mordor. Clifton Mills, Building 4, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington (185263). In 1903 Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against child labor. [10] Initially, employment focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. 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 Google search for " Kensington Avenue Philadelphia " yields horrendous images of sad-eyed people slumped over in varying poses of despair. Emerald Street, Tulip Street, Kensington Avenue, Frankford Avenue the city shut them down one by one, vowing improvement at every step of the way. The problem is, no one seems to want to write about the good. Almost half of the neighborhoods residents live below the poverty line. Persuading the federal government to change its prohibition stance will prove difficult, considering how fiercely divisive the issue is among law enforcement. Strong community groups and nonprofits in Kensington have used the neighborhood's empty lots as an opportunity to create community garden spaces. Protestors demanded a clear reopening date for the station, safer conditions for SEPTA workers, addiction services, services for homeless people in the area, and more. 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. The shooting happened on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. 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. SEPTA's MarketFrankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). 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.