kensington: Philadelphia Metropolis

New-Wave Street Gangs: Armed and Violent

Longtime anti-crime activist Greg Bucceroni wears a three-inch-long scar on his forehead, a souvenir from the June 5, 2008 evening when more than a dozen members of the heroin-dealing "Bart Simpson" gang - named after the brand of dope they peddled - backed him against a concrete wall in West Kensington. Bucceroni wore a blue polo shirt inscribed with the words, Philadelphia Police Youth At-Risk Program that night as he walked toward the home of a troubled teenage boy he was mentoring. (Comments)

Never Thrown a Punch

Best of VoxPop» When I say I have never thrown a punch, I mean I have never even been in a playground scuffle, not growing up in Salt Lake City, nor later when I moved around the country. I have lived my life avoid troubling situations and employing what I tell myself is wit and charm in situations where trouble seems unavoidable. Five years ago, after moving to Philadelphia from South Carolina, I decided this needed to change. Perhaps it was one too many runs up the Rocky steps, or the fact that I stand six foot one and 240 pounds, but the City of Brotherly Love got me wondering how I would hold up standing toe to toe with another man. I opened my journal and scribbled a goal in ink, "Have two official fights, judged by an official referee." I figured I needed one fight, (Comments)

The New Flophouses: Part One

It is nighttime under the El in Kensington. Streetlamps cast a sickly orange light, creating a labyrinth of shadows between the steel support columns that line Kensington Avenue. The darkness brings out the desolation of this part of the neighborhood, with a few prostitutes and drug dealers trolling for customers amidst vacant lots and crumbling buildings. In the hostile territory of hardscrabble Kensington, thousands of drug addicted men and women--- some clawing towards recovery, others deep into dependency -- conduct a nightly search for a place to lay their heads. (Comments)

The New Flophouses: Part Two

By Ryan W. Briggs» We're standing near the fenced-off grass lot in Kensington that adjoins the clubhouse, used for barbecues and lectures by The Last Stop's mercurial owner "Eddie Z", short for Edward Zampitella. A Kensington native who never learned to read or write, Eddie is a 20-year recovering addict who styles himself as champion of men struggling free from the grip of addiction. His brand of recovery uses tough talk and violent imagery to remind addicts what they stand to lose with their habit. The side yard features a handmade plywood coffin, spray-painted black, with a mannequin inside. A crude, grim idol, the mannequin represents the fate of everyone at the clubhouse, if they start using again. (Comments)

Making It Local: The New Food Economy

By Elise Vider» Philadelphia is becoming home to a new industry. Despite the recession, a crop of artisan food makers are setting up shop in the city, making everything from sauerkraut to premium chocolates. Philadelphia once known for making big things, such as ships and locomotives, is becoming known as the place where food entrepreneurs are making small, delicious things. Elise Vider writes about the emerging new food economy. (Comments)