Kensington Beach:
Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia
A Memoir
By Budd Michael Rodney
This book is a raw, brutal, and honest look at a life consumed by addiction. From a correctional officer with a promising career to a desperate man on the unforgiving streets of Philadelphia’s Kensington, Budd loses everything—his job, his dignity, and nearly his life. Through every devastating relapse, every close call with death, and every broken promise, he paints a vivid portrait of a world where survival is a daily battle and hope is a fleeting luxury. When a cruel twist of fate forces a final choice, he discovers that the ultimate rock bottom can also be the turning point that saves your life.
Budd Rodney
I am a survivor of crippling addiction and homelessness. For over five and a half years, I was lost in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, a daily struggle for survival that brought me to the lowest point of my life. My body and mind were ravaged by Xylazine, or “tranq,” which caused open wounds, sores, and abscesses that would not heal. My journey out of that hell came through a bitter loss when I endured severe frostbite that led to the amputation of my feet. Today, I am in recovery, committed to rebuilding my life from the ground up, and I share my story to shine a light on the brutal realities of addiction and to show others that it is possible to find a way back.
As seen in the documentary, “Philly Streets” on YouTube.com
Upcoming Events
Channel 5 with Andrew callaghan
Coming Soon!
STERN Magazine in Germany!
Coming Soon!
I have previously been featured in a STERN Magazine article detailing what life was like on the streets for me. I will be following up that story in the coming months!
My Writing Blog
Follow Along
Book is published!
My first trip to Kensington
Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here Have you ever been to Kensington? The words rang in my head. "No," I replied, an eerie sense of foreboding already stirring. "But I've heard of it." Thinking back to my encounter with Mike in White Deer, Lancaster. The name...
Hello everyone! Welcome to the page!
Welcome. If you're reading this, you've probably heard some version of my story. I’ve spent years feeling invisible, lost in a world that chose to look away, a world that I had chosen for myself... But through every moment of chaos on the streets of Kensington and...
English