Kensington, Philadelphia
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.Kensington is a primarily low income and working class area, and it experienced increasing poverty after the loss of its industries in the 1960s during deindustrialization.[5] In 2024 mayor Cherelle Parker promised policies to address issues caused by the market including more law enforcement targeting low level drug offenses and not spending money for addict supervisory services that had been provided by the city in the past.Using proceeds from the sale of the Hope Farm estate (present day Port Richmond), which included three enslaved people named Abraham, Hannibal, and Phillis,[11] 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).[12] 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.In the early 19th century, Kensington transitioned to iron and steel manufacturing[14] and became home to a variety of factories, potteries, and machine works.[13] Kensington is also historically known for its large working class Irish Catholic community and was the site of the Philadelphia nativist riots in the 19th century."[16][17][18] Deindustrialization eventually took hold in the neighborhood in the 1950s, leading to a significant population loss, high unemployment, economic decline, and abandoned homes.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).Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown.Fishtown, formerly a small subsection of Kensington, has transformed with a new affluent population, as well as greater investments from real estate developers.[39] The closure, which happened without consulting with residents and lacked advance notice,[40] was ostensibly to repair elevators that had been damaged by human waste and trash and concerns about safety for workers.[42] The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use.[5] Over time black and Hispanic street dealers took over larger portions of the drug trade, especially heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.[10] People suffering from addiction and/or experiencing homelessness concentrate around the Somerset and Allegheny train stations, in nearby parks, and on residential streets, angering long-term residents.[57] 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.
Neighborhood of PhiladelphiaBeatty's Mills Factory Buildingtextile millUnited StatesPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaArea code(s)215, 267, and 445Lower NortheastWest KensingtonHarrowgateFairhillFishtownSouth (Olde) KensingtonAmtraklow incomeworking classdeindustrializationDisinvestmentgrassrootsHispanic AmericansPuerto RicansDominicansAfrican AmericansIrish AmericansPolish AmericansAsian Americanshomelessprimarily white young urban professionalsgentrificationheroinpeople addicted to prescription opioidsopioidsCherelle ParkerMarket–Frankford LineAct of Consolidation, 1854Kensington DistrictRichmond DistrictAramingo BoroughNorthern Liberties TownshipNorth PhiladelphiaRiver WardsPort RichmondOlde RichmondJuniataBarbadosKensingtonIrish CatholicPhiladelphia nativist riotsK&A GangIrish MobIrish AmericancarpetMcNeil LaboratoriesMother Joneschild laborOyster Bay, New Yorkworking-classNational Register of Historic Places26th District Police and Patrol StationH.W. Butterworth and Sons Company BuildingKensington High School for GirlsPhilip H. Sheridan SchoolPhiladelphia Register of Historic PlacesCenter CitySomerset StationMarket-Frankford Line (MFL)supervised injection sitecommunity development corporationscommunity development financial institutionfederally qualified health centerPhiladelphia's City CouncilMark SquillaQuetcy LozadaJoseph C. HohensteinDanilo BurgosUnited States Post OfficeSEPTA City BusSchool District of PhiladelphiaFree Library of PhiladelphiaKensington High School ComplexJules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High SchoolRoman Catholic Archdiocese of PhiladelphiaSt. Annemethamphetaminefentanylcrack cocainedrug addictionhomelessnessrecreational drugPhiladelphia Weeklyprostitution!PAUS3Eddie AlvarezSamuel B. BoothFrank CappuccinoShane ClaiborneThe Simple WayEmanual DavisJehu EyreRevolutionary WarEdwin Henry FitlerWilliam J. Green, IIIDrew GulakJoseph HallmanJohn HewsonAmos LeeRoberto LugoJonathan MaberryBenny McLaughlinBob McNeillJamie MoffettEddie StankyJohn J. TaylorKensington Renewal InitiativeThe Philadelphia InquirerNational Park ServiceAP NewsWayback MachineBucks County Courier Timesarchive.todaySections andNeighborhoodsAvenue of the ArtsBroad StreetChinatownFitler Square