Kensington, Philadelphia
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Kensington is a neighborhood in the River Wards section of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Kensington is a primarily low-income and
working-class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
area, and it experienced increasing poverty after the loss of its industries in the 1960s during
deindustrialization Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpr ...
.
Disinvestment Disinvestment refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change. The term was first used in the 1980s, most commonly in ...
and general neglect has led to high abandonment in some parts of the neighborhood, catalyzing several
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...
actions from its residents. Simultaneously, its lower portions have experienced significant
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
in recent years. 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. Sub-neighborhoods within Kensington include East (or Lower) Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were historically included. The most conservative boundaries of the neighborhood, shown in the map below, are Front Street and 5th Street to the west, the
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
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. Kensington is home to a large population of
Hispanic Americans Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spaniards, Spanish or Latin Americans, Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino (demonym), ...
, mainly
Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans (), most commonly known as Puerto Rico#Etymology, Boricuas, but also occasionally referred to as '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borinqueños'', '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borincan ...
and
Dominicans Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...
, as well as
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
s and
Irish Americans Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...
. Communities of
Polish Americans Polish Americans () are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 8.81 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.67% of the U.S. population, ...
and
Asian Americans Asian Americans are Americans with Asian diaspora, ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are Immigration to the United States, immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants). A ...
also make up the neighborhood. Additionally, there is a large population of
homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
individuals. Particularly south of Lehigh Avenue, the neighborhood also recently has seen a large influx of primarily white young urban professionals and
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
, particularly in Fishtown – which is no longer considered to be part of Kensington – and in Olde Kensington, Norris Square, and East Kensington. Kensington is today frequently associated with its open-air drug market. Today, the epicenter of the drug trade is near the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny avenues, which by 2020 housed a billion-dollar drug market with rampant open drug use and dealing on sidewalks and in public parks, particularly McPherson Square. Kensington's troubles with the drug trade have attracted national and even international news coverage. The drug trade has existed in Kensington since the 1970s, likely due to its many vacant factory buildings (convenient for drug storage, sale, and use), location several miles away from the concentration of institutions, residents, and workers in Center City, and easy access to the neighborhood via both the
Market-Frankford Line The L, formerly known as the Market–Frankford Line, is a rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The L runs from the 69th Street Transit Center in Upper Darby, just outside of West Philad ...
and
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
. In 2024, Mayor
Cherelle Parker Cherelle Lesley Parker (born September 9, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 100th mayor of Philadelphia since 2024. She is the first woman to hold the office. Parker served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 20 ...
proposed a policy plan to address issues caused by the market, shifting spending and priorities away from
harm reduction Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of intentional practices and public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and/or physical consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal. H ...
strategies and towards increased law enforcement, including more enforcement of low-level drug offenses. Simultaneously, the lower part of the neighborhood (particularly below Lehigh Avenue) has become a hotspot for real-estate development and gentrification. The 19122 and 19125 ZIP codes, both of which include parts of Lower Kensington, are two of the top ZIP codes in Philadelphia for real estate development between 2021-2024, with new unit counts similar to the much more densely populated 19103 ZIP code in Center City Philadelphia. Recently, large developments have initiated north of Lehigh Avenue, in what is typically considered the heart of Kensington.


Geography

As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time. Before the
Act of Consolidation, 1854 The Act of Consolidation, more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 (P.L. 21, No. 16), is legislation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that created the consolidated City and County of Philadelphia, expanding the city's territory t ...
, the Kensington District was an independent municipality, which included portions of the neighborhoods known today as Olde Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, and Fishtown, with its northern border at Lehigh Avenue and its eastern boundary at Frankford Avenue. These boundaries have since shifted so that a large area north of Lehigh Avenue is now considered part of Kensington, while Fishtown is no longer considered part of the neighborhood. The current greater Kensington area roughly coincides with the former Kensington District, Richmond District, Aramingo Borough, and Northern Liberties Township. The generally accepted boundaries of the neighborhood 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. 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. Kensington belongs to or divides Lower Northeast and
North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City, Philadelphia, Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as ...
. It is part of the River Wards section of the city, a group of neighborhoods close to the Delaware River in North and Northeast Philadelphia. Kensington's river ward identity puts it in contrast with the neighborhoods to its west. Fairhill and Norris Square are separate from Kensington with a more central North Philadelphia identity; however, exactly where the neighborhoods separate is subject to much debate and there are people within both neighborhoods who identify with Kensington. To the east of Kensington, Port Richmond and Olde Richmond are each predominantly white neighborhoods. Port Richmond has a historically Polish population but is becoming more mixed, and Olde Richmond, an area just north of Fishtown, is experiencing similar gentrification. Juniata, the neighborhood to the north, and Kensington are similar demographically, yet the former is slightly wealthier and has more green space.


Sections

Within Kensington, various sub-neighborhoods including Harrowgate, Lower Kensington, West Kensington. Central Kensington, or "the Heart of Kensington" as it is called in a recent Impact Services neighborhood plan, stretches along Kensington Avenue from Tusculum and Somerset Streets to Tioga Street (see Impact Services plan for a more accurate map). The area is known as the center of Kensington and was historically the commercial center of the neighborhood. The area is densely residential, but crime rates are highest in this part of Kensington. Harrowgate is the furthest north, bordering Juniata and named for Harrowgate Park. The part of Kensington below Lehigh Street, or as it has been rebranded "Lower Kensington" or "East Kensington", is the part of Kensington most clearly experiencing gentrification. As it is just north of Fishtown, higher income residents have been moving further up, increasing property values and rents. 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, but unlike the other two neighborhoods it remains certainly part of Kensington.


History


18th century

Kensington was founded by Anthony Palmer in the early 1730s. 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 Delaware River). The entire estate consisted of 191.5 acres of land, much smaller than the present-day Kensington area. Palmer was an English merchant who came to Philadelphia by 1704 from
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
. The town of Kensington was named for the area in London known as
Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
, which had been recently established as the residency of the British crown. 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. He also sold to recent German fishermen immigrants. The original area of Kensington is now more commonly called Fishtown, mainly because of the
shad The Alosidae, or the shads, are a family (biology), family of clupeiform fishes. The family currently comprises four genera worldwide, and about 32 species. The shads are Pelagic fish, pelagic (open water) schooling fish, of which many are anadr ...
fishing that was one of the dominant businesses in Kensington in the 18th and 19th centuries.


19th century

Kensington has traditionally been known as one of the working class centers of Philadelphia. Employment initially focused around the nearby waterfront and the activities of fishermen and ship- and boatbuilders. In the early 19th century, Kensington transitioned to iron and steel manufacturing and became home to a variety of factories, potteries, and machine works. Kensington is also historically known for its large
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
Irish Catholic Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
community and was the site of the
Philadelphia nativist riots The Philadelphia nativist riots (also known as the Philadelphia Prayer Riots, the Bible Riots and the Native American Riots) were a series of riots that took place on May 68 and July 67, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and the a ...
in the 19th century. It was also the birthplace of the
K&A Gang The K&A Gang, or the Northeast Philly Irish Mob, is a predominantly Irish American criminal network based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The K&A Gang was started following World War II and controlled the city's Irish-American criminal underwo ...
, currently known as the Northeast Philly Irish Mob, an
Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...
organized crime network. By the mid-19th century, Kensington became one of the leading centers of the textile industry, particularly in
carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...
.
McNeil Laboratories McNeil Consumer Healthcare is an American medicals products company belonging to Kenvue consumer health group. It primarily sells fast-moving consumer goods such as Over-the-counter drug, over-the-counter drugs. History The company was founded ...
began with the purchase of a pharmacy in the area in 1879 by the company's namesake.


20th century

In 1903, Mother Jones organized a "Children's Crusade" of children from the local mills and mines to protest against
child labor Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...
. They marched from Kensington to
Oyster Bay, New York The Town of Oyster Bay is the easternmost of the three Administrative divisions of New York#Town, towns that make up Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is ...
, carrying banners demanding, "We want to go to School and not the mines!"
Deindustrialization Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpr ...
eventually took hold in the neighborhood in the 1950s, leading to a significant population loss, high unemployment, economic decline, an increase in crime, and numerous abandoned homes and businesses. However, some sections of the neighborhood have been revitalized in recent years, especially those near Frankford Avenue, Kensington's neighbor south of Lehigh Avenue, and Fishtown, another traditionally
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
neighborhood which has seen rents increase. 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.


National Register of Historic Places

Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
: * The 26th District Police and Patrol Station * Beatty's Mills Factory Building * H.W. Butterworth and Sons Company Building * Kensington High School for Girls * Philip H. Sheridan School Philadelphia Register of Historic Places * Clifton Mills, 1833 N. Howard Street, Kensington (1852–63). * Clifton Mills, Building 4, 1809-11 N. Howard Street, Kensington (1852–63). * The Columbia Works, 155-59 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. * The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons' Franklin Flint Glass Works, 1700-06 N. Howard Street (1876). *Frankford Avenue Baptist Church, 2347-49 Frankford Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (1889). *Harbisons' Dairies, 2041-55 Coral Street (1895). The Harbison Dairies is notable for its water tower, which stands on top of the industrial building in the form of a milk bottle. With development pressures in the neighborhood on the rise, the Harbison Dairies and its iconic milk bottle were threatened with demolition, which led neighbors to engage Oscar Beisert, Architectural Historian and Historic Preservationist, to draft a nomination to list the building in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, which was filed on June 7, 2016. Despite opposition from the property owner and claims of structural issues, Harbisons' Dairies was finally designated by the Philadelphia Historical Commission on January 12, 2018. * Kensington Hospital for Women, 128-40 Diamond Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. * Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles, 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA. *Second Associate Presbyterian Church, 1523-25 N. Front Street, Kensington, Philadelphia, PA (1852–54). * The Star Carpet Mills, 1801-03 N. Howard Street, Kensington (1880–82). *Weisbrod & Hess' Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler & Wash House, 2117 E. York Street (1890–91).


Demographics

Kensington has a population of approximately 42,000 people according to data from ASC 2020 survey. The majority of its population is Hispanic or Latino (59.9%), consisting primarily of Puerto Rican and Dominican Americans. Of the non-Hispanic or Latino population, 19% is White, 15.1% is Black or African American, 3.6% is Asian, and 2.2% identify as two or more races. The median yearly income of the neighborhood is $28,368, ranging from $18,516 to $77,979. 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). The majority of the neighborhood is renter occupied, 55.6% overall, and up to 66.3% in one tract.


Gentrification

Kensington's high percentage of low income renters puts its residents at risk of displacement from gentrification. Significant rent increases are commonly triggered by increasing property values and a new wealthier demographic that can afford to pay higher rents. Such a phenomenon is happening across Kensington, causing long-term residents to be priced out. Looking to be close to Center City by both car and transit, young white collar workers have been moving to cheaper neighborhoods around downtown.
SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...
's Market–Frankford Line runs to Center City from Kensington, offering short commute times. Fishtown, formerly a small subsection of Kensington, has transformed with a new affluent population, as well as greater investments from real estate developers.


Parks and gardens

Kensington has several medium and small sized parks and playgrounds which offer a variety of uses for visitors. 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. 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. Strong community groups and nonprofits in Kensington have used the neighborhood's empty lots as an opportunity to create community garden spaces. 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, and Circle of Hope / Frankford Ave Garden.


Activism


Protests


Somerset Station SEPTA closure

On March 21, 2021,
SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...
indefinitely closed the Somerset Station of the Market-Frankford Line (MFL). The closure, which happened without consulting with residents and lacked advance notice, was ostensibly to repair elevators that had been damaged by human waste and trash and concerns about safety for workers. However, the decision to close the station "indefinitely" led hundreds of Kensington residents to march from Somerset Station to Allegheny Station in protest, recreating the longer trip many of them had to take to access the MFL since the closure. 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. The station was reopened on April 5 with increased police presence.


Safehouse Supervised Injection Site

The proposal to open a supervised injection site in Kensington has faced backlash from residents, despite the area's prevalent public drug use. 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. In the neighborhood, some residents have opposed the plans and organized against the site being located in Kensington, including leaders of five civic organizations in the area. However, some residents and many harm reduction advocates in the area are supportive.


Community Development


Neighborhood Trusts

* Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) - utilizes a neighborhood trust model consisting of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a perpetual purpose trust which are each governed by a different board of community members in order to combat disinvestment and gentrification. KCT focuses on de-commodifying and reactivating residential and mixed-use properties along the Kensington Avenue commercial corridor to preserve culture and affordability while building intergenerational neighborhood power and wealth in Kensington. It aims to use its unique model to ensure long-term neighborhood ownership and control of the corridor.


Community Development Corporations

Kensington is home to a number of
community development corporation A community development corporation (CDC) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated to provide programs, offer services and engage in other activities that promote and support community development. CDCs usually serve a geographic location su ...
s working to improve housing conditions and economic activity in the neighborhood: * Impact Services - covers a wide range of services and development projects including re-entry services, career development services, affordable housing development (especially for veterans), and community outreach and development. Impact also acts as a
community development financial institution A community development financial institution (US) or community development finance institution (UK) - abbreviated in both cases to CDFI - is a financial institution that provides credit and financial services to underserved markets and populations ...
. * HACE - focuses primarily on residential and commercial real estate development as well as housing and small business services. * New Kensington CDC - combines real estate development, community engagement, and direct services in an effort to prevent displacement and create wealth for residents.


Health Organizations

* Prevention Point Philadelphia, a public health organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. * Esperanza Health Center, a federally qualified health center located at Kensington and Allegheny providing affordable, bilingual healthcare and wellness services.


Religious Organizations

* Rock Ministries, founded in 2003 by Buddy Osborn located under the El tracks on Kensington Avenue, provides support for addicts and those in need including free boxing lessons for children provided they attend short bible study * The Blessed Sarnelli Community (BSC) is a Catholic, Christian, non-profit mission dedicated to providing for the needs of the poor, homeless, and abandoned in the Kensington Community. Blessed Sarnelli serves hot meals 5 days a week (M-F) to anyone in need. BSC also operates a clothing room open during Tues. Wed. and Thurs. meals. https://www.bscphilly.org/


Civic Associations

* Somerset Neighbors for Better Living * Harrowgate Civic Association * Kensington Independent Civic Association * Kensington Neighborhood Association * Olde Richmond Civic Association * South Port Richmond Civic Association * East Kensington Neighbors Association


Government and infrastructure


Political representation

Kensington is represented on the Philadelphia's City Council by Districts 1 and 7. As of 2024, Mark Squilla is the Councilmember for District 1 and Quetcy Lozada is the Councilmember for District 7. Kensington mostly lies under the 180th State Representative District, being represented by Jose Giral. Parts of the neighborhood lie in the 177th or 197th Districts, represented by Joseph C. Hohenstein and Danilo Burgos respectively.


Post office

The
United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
operates the Kensington Post Office at 1602 Frankford Ave. The U.S. Postal Service designates Kensington as ZIP codes 19125 (Kensington Station). The U.S. Postal service considers 19134 (Richmond Station) as the area known as Port Richmond. Adjacent neighborhoods are Northern Liberties (ZIP code 19123), Fishtown and Olde Richmond (ZIP code 19125), Port Richmond (ZIP code 19134).


Transit and infrastructure

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 Market–Frankford Line which, running on top of Kensington Avenue, dominates the intersection. SEPTA City Bus routes (on Kensington Avenue, running underneath the "El") and on Allegheny Avenue, with route nearby on Frankford Avenue, also serve the K & A area.


Education


Primary and secondary schools

The
School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated State schools, public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the largest school district in Pennsylvania and the eighth-lar ...
operates public schools. Public schools in Kensington include Kensington High School Complex, Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational Technical High School, Russell H. Conwell Middle Magnet School and John H. Webster Elementary School. There is also a charter school, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School. In 2011, the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Archdiocese of Philadelphia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia originally included all of Pennsylvania and Dela ...
announced the closures of three Kensington Catholic schools, in response to declining student enrollment: Ascension of Our Lord,
St. Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's na ...
, and St. Hugh of Cluny.


Public libraries

The
Free Library of Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the 16th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the ...
operates the McPherson Square Branch at 601 East Indiana Avenue, and the Kensington Branch at 104 W Dauphin Street.


Crime and gang activity

Kensington was the birthplace of the
K&A Gang The K&A Gang, or the Northeast Philly Irish Mob, is a predominantly Irish American criminal network based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The K&A Gang was started following World War II and controlled the city's Irish-American criminal underwo ...
, an Irish American organized crime outfit that controlled the distribution of
methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug use, recreational or Performance-enhancing substance, performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a secon ...
in the 1980s. Economic decline led to a rapid expansion of the drug trade and an increased number of black and Hispanic dealers and gang members, who sold
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
,
fentanyl Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic (pain medication). It is 30 to 50 times more Potency (pharmacology), potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its primary Medici ...
, and
crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be Smoking, smoked. Crack offers a short, intense Euphoria (emotion), high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Sub ...
. In recent years, Kensington has experienced increasing social issues primarily related to drug abuse. Sections of the neighborhood are frequented by a significant number of people experiencing
drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
and/or experiencing
homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
. After Philadelphia Police forcibly removed a large encampment of these people from an abandoned railroad track by Lehigh Avenue, several smaller encampments formed under the tracks. Police, after a year and a half, removed these encampments causing its residents to spread up Kensington Avenue. 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. The neighborhood gained national attention, notoriety, and extensive press coverage of its thriving narcotics drug scene, often described as the largest on the U.S. East Coast. The intersection of Kensington Avenue and Somerset Street was listed as the city's top
recreational drug Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an Sub ...
corner in a September 2012 article by ''
Philadelphia Weekly ''Philadelphia Weekly'' (''PW'') is a website based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a newspaper in 1971 as ''The Welcomat'', a sister publication to the ''South Philadelphia Press''. In 1995, the paper became ''Philadelphia Week ...
'' reporter Steve Volk. This area of Kensington is also known as a central area for
prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
in the city. An August 2011 article on the area in ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' in January 2019 was titled, "Philadelphia's Kensington Avenue: Heroin, Prostitution, and No Police".


Notable people

* !PAUS3, professional musician * Eddie Alvarez, mixed martial artist * Samuel B. Booth, rector of St. Luke's Church and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont * Frank Cappuccino, former boxing referee and amateur boxer *
Shane Claiborne Shane Claiborne (born July 11, 1975) is an American evangelical Christian and founder, an author and organizational leader. He is one of the founders of the non-profit organization, The Simple Way, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, cofounder of t ...
, founding member,
The Simple Way The Simple Way is a non-profit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. History Shane Claiborne and five other Eastern University graduates founded an intentional community when they moved into a terraced house in the neighborhood of Kens ...
religious group * Emanual Davis, former professional basketball player,
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
,
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, and Seattle SuperSonics * Jehu Eyre, Revolutionary War shipbuilder *
Edwin Henry Fitler Edwin Henry Fitler (December 2, 1825 – May 31, 1896) was an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania. He founded Edwin H. Fitler & Company, the largest cordage manufacturer in the United States at the time, and served as a Re ...
, former
mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Cherelle Parker, who is the first woman to hold the ...
* William J. Green III, former mayor of Philadelphia * Drew Gulak, professional wrestler * Joseph Hallman, composer * John Hewson, textile producer *
Amos Lee Amos Lee (born Ryan Anthony Massaro, June 22, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk music, folk, rock music, rock, and Soul music, soul. Lee has recorded five albums on Blue Note Records and has toured as ...
, singer-songwriter * Roberto Lugo, artist * Jonathan Maberry, author * Benny McLaughlin, soccer player * Bob McNeill, basketball player * Jamie Moffett, filmmaker * Eddie Stanky, baseball player * John J. Taylor, politician


See also

* Kensington Renewal Initiative * '' Long Bright River'' - 2025 crime drama limited series set in Kensington


References


External links


Kensington, upclose Zombieland

Kensington Corridor TrustNew Kensington Community Development Corporation
* {{authority control African Americans in Pennsylvania Gentrification in the United States Irish-American culture in Philadelphia Irish-American history Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Philadelphia Badlands Polish communities in the United States Skid rows