When did Kensington officially die? - Page 3 - PhillyBlog

beccaroon · #21 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 11:06 PM

My family is from Kensington. They moved us to the burbs in 1978 & my mom still calls herself a Philly girl. She never got over "having to move." Drugs, drunks, hookers, and all that ilk... it was no place to raise a family.

Debbie1125 · #22 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoRyz

As a youngster back in the 1970s, my grandfather worked at James A Kinney & Sons @ the corner of Norris & Howard. I remember quite vividly going with him to Kelly's Korner to get cheap sneakers and going with him into the barber shop under the El that had cut his hair for 40 years. He would go there even though he had moved from the neighborhood to West Oak Lane in the mid 1950. My biggest memory of the area were the vast factories dotting the landscape, and seeing many of the buildings being abandoned even then.

I remember Kelly's Korner and the Kent movie theater across the street. I grew up a few blocks away from the York/Dauphin el stop. The neighborhood started changing in the late 70's when drug dealers moved in.

Kelly's Korner is now a charter school and I think there are houses where James Kenney used to be @ Howard & Norris.

LeisureSuit · #23 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 11:42 PM

Can we have definitive explanation of just where Kensington is? Is there a Upper and Lower Kensington? Where does Kensington end and Fishtown start? Where does Kensington end and Port Richmond start?

Mimi0517 · #24 (**permalink**) 07-03-2008, 10:05 AM

I'm a kenzo .. I grew up at d street & indiana.. i"m 25 years old .. the street are soo bad now .. my mom still live in the same house ...

YoRyz · #25 (**permalink**) 07-03-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debbie1125

I remember Kelly's Korner and the Kent movie theater across the street. I grew up a few blocks away from the York/Dauphin el stop. The neighborhood started changing in the late 70's when drug dealers moved in.

Kelly's Korner is now a charter school and I think there are houses where James Kenney used to be @ Howard & Norris.

I just drove through the neighborhood on Friday after spending an entire day at the City Archives doing genealogical research. I was looking for all the houses the old city directories listed for my family between 1887 & 1936. It's amazing to think that there are now 6 generations of my family that have lived in the exact same box bounded by Aramingo Ave., Lehigh Ave, Frankford Ave. & York St. I'm sure someone on this forum knows the Reiser/Rieser family that lives on Huntingdon Street near Trenton Ave?

Unfortunately many of the houses I was looking for are now gone. The good news is that they were replaced by positive additions to the neighborhood.

If I were to compare the 2008 version of this neighborhood to the 1990 version, I'd say I see a lot more positive changes than negative. There are other areas of Kensington that haven't been able to turn that corner, but I think they will soon. I may not live there, but I feel a sense of pride in my strong Kensington heritage.