Kensington, colloquially known locally as Kenzo, is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. 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. The right to shop locally in your community is enjoyed by most Philadelphia residents, and Kensingtonians are taking their corridor back. A loan from a Community Development Financing Institution (CDFI) or a Storefront Improvement (SIP) or In-Store grant from the Department of Commerce carries the capacity to transform a block and breathe life into a business. SBC News 188K subscribers Subscribe 10K 1.4M views 1 year ago #SBCNews. Drug activity is not hidden here, especially not when heroin can go for as cheap as $5 a bag. Knowing Kensington Avenue like I do, I am distressed by its predominantly negative and fetishized depiction in the media. Wednesdays encampment closure was initially postponed due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of residents. 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. Despite lobbying council members and state representatives, no change has been made. The government has shown attempts at trying. Corridor vacancy, lower costs of real estate, and dedicated community groups and entrepreneurs make for an attractive location. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. Eyes on the Street brings new ideas and fresh voices into the conversation about Philadelphias changing cityscape. The underpass is cleared of homeless during the regular Friday morning police enforced clean-up at the homeless encampment on Kensington Avenue north of E. Lehigh Ave. on the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia on Friday, April 27, 2018. Some even offer free samples. These territorial disputes happen in clear daylight, theres no concern for the repercussions. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. The increase in violent crime, homelessness, and out-of-control drug use in Kensington are far greater threats to residents of Philadelphia. This has made it hard for police to quell the trade. Two emergency shelters closed along Kensington Avenue within the last year. 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. Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. Gladstein acknowledged the problem is too vast to contain with just targeted actions like the one Wednesday morning. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. That camp was cleared, and another formed. 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. 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. Through it all, I consistently found myself impressed in awe of the merchants on Kensington Avenue and hopeful for their entrepreneurial futures. '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. Representatives from these organizations economic development teams work hand in hand with business owners, residents, developers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the business community. Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Story, Here's What Happened Today, Tuesday, Sept 7, 20 . Folks are going to migrate to wherever they can go, 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 drug is even cheaper to produce and procure than fentanyl and is more dangerous in the sense that Narcan is not effective against overdoses. 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 Then they, like Kensginton, began to decline further. There is no hands-free zone' in the city of Philadelphia, and there never will be, says public-affairs officer Lt. Ray Evers. 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. Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis,[9] 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 Delaware River). 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. They eventually set up a new encampment under another railway bridge nearby. The super brief history is Kensington was a thriving industrial area of factory workers until deindustrialization happened which left the neighborhood impoverished and jobless. Commercial revitalization in the form of businesses a community has use for is a powerful weapon. NKCDC is working on the redevelopment of the Orinoka Civic House. At least four people were transported to the hospital and about eight vehicles were involved in the crash. The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. Once it hit rock bottom, the need for an outlet brought more people in. 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 . This street wears its heart on its sleeve, triumphs, and failures on full display. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. The drugs are just too cheap and too accessible. Prevention Point Philadelphia, a public health organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. This is Kensington Ave my friend. 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. [32], Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. 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 . Several men rush to be the first to make a dollar selling her a syringe. 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. 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. They're visible within seconds of exiting the subway: injections in broad daylight, tent encampments, legions of trash and squalor. The city's violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. 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. Worse, still, are the articles characterizing this commercial corridor as an adventurous destination for the open-minded shopper. "Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a . On March 21, 2021, SEPTA indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). Upwards of 100 people camp out there every night and its not for stargazing. In 1903 Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against child labor. Many died there. McKinney says the city could use regional support in creating a long-term solution for 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. [33] Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. 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. Theres gotta be somewhere you could put your tent, a park, an area, some sort of designated spot, Meyer said. Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. There are real, endemic issues at play on the Avenue. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. This summer, the Philadelphia Police Department canceled seven blocks in the area due to safety concerns. Most dangerous street in PhiladelphiaKensington Philadelphia Drug \u0026 Crime ProblemsViolent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem.