Below West Kensington, you'll venture into Old Kensington, which borders Northern Liberties and is commonly referred to as Northern Liberties by those who are afflicted with Confused-by-Kensington-itis. We're all guilty of this at times -- Northern Liberties clicks with people who are new to the area and is closer to Center City. If we say "Old Kensington", sometimes it's harder to get people interested!

But Old Kensington is one of the coolest fringe neighborhoods in Philadelphia, and if you take a walk over there, you'll see why. Home to Crane Arts Center, some of the best taquerias in the city, and with more of an industrial vibe - it truly feels like it's on the brink of something big.  The borders for Old Kensington are N. 6th to Front Street, and Girard Avenue to Cecil B. Moore Avenue. It covers just about 2 miles and is almost a square.

East Kensington (also referred to as "New") is what's left - East of Frankford Avenue to Memphis Street from Lehigh Avenue to York Street. It's a much smaller area and this is where the term Port Fishington comes up, because it's bordered so closely by Port Richmond and Fishtown. At 1.5 miles, East Kensington is tiny, another reason it often gets overlooked and misnomered to death. We could argue about it all night, but if you go east of Memphis, you're in Fishtown, and if you wander a little further north past Lehigh Avenue, you're on Port Richmond land.

And remember - You can always go ahead and ask your grandfather who grew up in Kensington. Whatever he says is probably true!

Now that you're in the know, pick a section of Kensington and go check it out for yourself! If you're looking for something cool to do, you can catch up on our Kensington posts for more ideas.

Related:

Kensington for Dummies, Part I.

Are you afflicted with Confused-by-Kensington-itis?

Even Kensingtonians themselves are not always sure where exactly they are.

Old Kensington, New Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, Kensington South, Port Fishington.  There's so much Kensington out there that we decided it was time.  Time for what?  Kensington for Dummies.

Kensington is a section of Lower Northeast Philadelphia with the boundaries of Lehigh Avenue to the North, North 6th Street and Germantown Avenue to the West, York Street, Norris Street, and Frankford Avenue to the South and East (that sounds confusing but we'll break it down for you below).  It's safe to refer to this entire area as Kensington if anyone asks.  Remember to K.I.S.S. - Kensington is Simple, Stupid!

Kensington was a manufacturing center in the 18-and-early-1900's and was a hub for the textile industry.

Kensington can be broken up into 3 main areas: West Kensington, Old Kensington, and East or New Kensington.

Now let's start West and go from there:

West Kensington covers a significant chunk of land  at 3.72 miles around. Think Lehigh Avenue to Cecil B. Moore Avenue,  and N. 6th and Germantown Avenue to Frankford Avenue. The West is generally residential these days, but you can still see the many factories of its early years, that have recently been converted to stylish lofts for local artists -- our favorite woodworking genius has set up shop there.

Ready to move on to the rest of Kensington? Let that sink in and check in with us tomorrow for Part II.

Latte Happy Hour...yum. 50 cents off your late afternoon pick-me-up. What we really love about this coffeehouse is how the sandwiches are named after nearby streets (Boston Street, Hagert Street, etc.) and they carry famous Stock's Bakery pound cake...in case you need something to go with your sweet beverage.

Speaking of sweet, we have a sweet house in walking distance from Leotah's...1932 E. Arizona Street is a must-see 3 Bedroom 3 Bath home in this super sweet location that puts you right in the middle of the action. Just check out our map below.

For more information, contact Frank Ratka III, 267-228-8497, frankratka3@verizon.net

Check out these other cool events happening this February at Leotah's:

Leotah's Place
2033 E. York St.
Philadelphia PA 19125
267-519-9031

Related:

Welcome Leotah’s Place, A New Kensington Coffee House

The Arizona Video Tour:

The Arizona Video Tour: The Living Room at 1932 E. Arizona Street

The Arizona Video Tour: The Kitchen at 1932 E. Arizona Street

The Arizona Video Tour: The Loft at 1932 E. Arizona Street

The Arizona Video Tour: The Bedrooms at 1932 E. Arizona Street

The Arizona Video Tour: The Updated Bathroom at 1932 E. Arizona Street

The owners of the Philadelphia Art Hotel were featured on our blog over the summer, and we were excited to work with two exciting people with such presence in the art community. The couple has also received Volunteer Service Awards from NKCDC for assisting in neighborhood cleanups and beautification projects.

Zak and Krista, we hope you love your new home and find the perfect artwork to fill it with!

Related:

Philadelphia’s One and Only Art Hotel

2074 E. Cumberland Street is your chance to start anew in New Kensington, a 3 Story 4 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath home offered below appraised value.  In an exciting neighborhood where new ventures are appearing every day, we present to you a golden opportunity.

The New:

- New roof with downspouts & capping
- New Front Door w/ Self-Storing Storm Doors
- New Energy-Efficient Windows
- Recessed Lighting
- Ceiling Fans
- Hard-wired Smoke Detectors and In-Wall Adjustable Lighting
- Remodeled baths. Main bath has a restored and resurfaced ball foot tub and 4ft wide stall shower.
- All Electric w/ Brand New EnergyStar Hot Water Heater, Kitchen Appliances, and Hydronic Baseboard Heaters. Baseboard heaters save money & energy by heating only the rooms you need.
- New flooring throughout

The Extras:

- Extra room behind kitchen (option to create home office or breakfast room).
- Rear yard offers deck w/ optimum privacy & a lawn to bury your feet in.
- Extra closet space
- For buyers' peace of mind, this property includes a sellers-paid 1 yr AHS Home Warranty.
- Located blocks from Frankford El, steps from major bus routes, minutes from I-95.

Come see for yourself why you should try on something new in New Kensington. For more information, please contact the Somers Team.

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

2074 E Cumberland Street

Photo Gallery and Virtual Tour

Newly re listed, and offered at below appraised value this is a three-story, four bedroom, and one and a half bath row home in New Kensington.

Located just blocks from the Frankford El, steps from many major bus routes and minutes from I- 95.

Outside, this home has a new roof, downspouts and capping, new front door with storm doors that are self-storing, and new energy efficient windows.

Inside, you will find 12-foot high ceilings. Four bedrooms with one and a half bathrooms, all newly remodeled. The main bathroom has a restored and resurfaced ball foot tub as well as a 4 foot stall shower. Throughout the house you will find recessed lighting, ceiling fans, hard-wired smoke detectors and in-wall adjustable lighting.

This house is all electric with brand new Energy Star hot water heater, kitchen appliances and hydronic baseboard heaters. These baseboard heaters allow you to save money and energy by heating only the rooms you need.

Beyond the new kitchen, you have the option of creating a home office or breakfast room. Out back is a deck with just the right amount of privacy and a lawn to bury your feet in.

With new flooring throughout and extra closet space, this is a must see! Seller is motivated to close and waiting for you to make an offer. For buyers peace of mind, this property includes a sellers-paid HSA Home Warranty policy for 1 year.

Discover more about the great neighborhoods near this home:

Fishtown

New Kensington

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

But how green are they really? According to Sustainable 19125,  they can be a little greener. To see what we mean, just check out the new signs on the following blocks:

• 700 Moyer
• 1300 Earl
• 2300 Memphis
• 2400 Tulip
• 2200 Coral
• 2500 Gordon
• 2600 Salmon

These blocks in New Kensington and Fishtown have achieved "Green Block" status, an initiative that rewards streets for making efforts to become more efficient. How can you get your block on board?

Make sure that your neighbors all use Blue Recycling Bins that they can pick up at NKCDC (2515 Frankford Avenue) during regular business hours. Plastics #1 - 7 are now accepted.

Is each house signed up for RecycleBank to earn points for recycling? The limit is one bin per household. Each individual must sign out for his/her own bin. PMBC Block Captains and Green Guides can take multiple bins for their blocks if needed. Email sustainable19125@gmail.com for more information and visit their website for more tips.

[image via Sustainable 19125]

Related:

Read more about green tips for your home.

2569-77 Amber Street

Photo Gallery

Location is exactly what you are looking for on the Frankford Arts Corridor and Amber Street. This micro-block cluster of lots for sale is in one of the most progressive areas of New Kensington.

• 2569 Amber St (MLS# 5739650)
• 2571 Amber St (MLS#5739654)
• 2573 Amber St (MLS#5739656)
• 2575 Amber St (MLS#5739659)
• 2577 Amber St (MLS#5739662)

Revitalization signs and signals everywhere. These lots are in walking distance to those trendy spots such as Memphis Taproom, Philadelphia Brewing Co., Circle Thrift, Greens Grow Farm, Rocket Cat Cafe, and so many more local stops. The El Stop is only a few blocks away and public transportation is a breeze on Frankford Ave. What this means to you as a developer is that you are positioning yourself to have your new construction project offer the consumer what they want in an urban setting: local places to visit, public transportation, and a progressive location that will continue to grow and blossom.

Discover more about Life in New Kensington

Investors Search here

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

Finding a contractor that can meet your deadlines and negotiate complex work orders is a challenge that we, as realtors, face often.

Time and time again, we've found that VAR Construction, Inc., have professionally met our needs on all challenges and have far exceeded our expectations. From basic home repairs to full-blown makeovers, VAR can make it happen, on time and on budget.

This New Kensington-based home improvement company is licensed, bonded, and insured. They serve the Greater Philadelphia region and have a staff of contractors and engineers that are respectful, talented, and attentive to the finer details.

VAR Construction Inc
2557 Amber Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125-1722
(215) 728-0951

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

2027 E Dauphin Street

Photo Gallery

Welcome to this completely renovated 3 bedroom with 1 bath home for sale in Fishtown/New Kensington.

Enter into open floor plan with new hardwood floors and coat closet on the first floor.

Extends to the brand new kitchen with custom cabinetry and countertops, tile flooring and backsplash. Extra lighting in kitchen with both a skylight and a walk-out sliding door to the backyard.

Backyard is huge, one of the larger backyards in the zip code, perfect for summer bbq, pets or play.

Upstairs is carpeted with the master bedroom on the 2nd floor and 2 bedrooms on the 3rd floor. Bedrooms are spacious with ample closet space. Full bathroom is updated with beautiful tiling and vanity.

Other features include:

• Central air
• Ceiling fans in every room
• Large, full basement – great for storage
• Brand new HVAC unit
• Brand new hot water heater

Block is private and quiet and parking is a breeze. Property is vacant and easy to show! Make your appointment today to see this 3 bedroom home for sale in Fishtown/New Kensington. Very low annual real estate taxes.

Discover more about Life in Fishtown

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612. For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub! If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers Team - Philadelphia Real Estate

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !