Surrounded by Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Flatbush, Kensington is a diverse, peaceful neighborhood. There's a large Orthodox Jewish population, which has made its mark on the neighborhood with kosher eateries and religious buildings. That said, the majority of new people moving here are young professionals seeking a large, affordable apartment.
While Kensington was originally settled as part of The Town of Flatbush, the land wasn’t used for much. It wasn’t until 1737 that the area was properly settled by the British as farmland. Kensington would be used for agricultural purposes throughout the 1700’s and 1800’s.
It wasn’t until 1885 that Kensington was turned into a residential neighborhood. The Ocean Parkway, finished in 1880, helped make the area popular. Businesses started popping up next to it, as did apartment complexes. By the 1920’s, Kensington was full of people.
Kensington ran into some issues around the 1950’s and 60’s. However, many of these issues weren’t financial as much as they were about identity. For most of its history, Kensington was considered part of Flatbush. However, by the 1980’s the citizens of Kensington had made the neighborhood distinct enough to forge its own identity.
While there are a few skyscrapers in this area, Kensington is full of row houses and mid-rise apartment complexes. There are also many religious institutions here, and those are largely flat as well.
Kensington is a residential neighborhood in every sense. It’s not quite suburban, but the people who live here are friendly and have a strong sense of community. Once you’re here, it’s easy to get sucked into the peaceful nature of the place.
Kensington has some great food, but the bar scene isn’t very strong here. This means that the neighborhood is pretty quiet by around 9 or 10, making it the perfect place for folks who want to live near the city, but also want to avoid tourists and parties.
Kensington is made up of strong communities with deep connections to their families. The crime rate is low, the schools here are great, and you're surrounded by other cultures. The lack of a night life also means that kids won’t be disturbed here. All in all, Kensington is a great place to raise a family.
The New York City subway system provides access to Kensington via multiple train lines. The F and G trains will take you along the west side of the neighborhood while the B and Q trains will take you along the east side.
Biking is very popular in this neighborhood. Citi Bike docking stations are few and far between here. However, there are a ton of bike lanes, the streets are wide, and traffic is never too bad.
Driving here is popular too, though parking can be a bit of a challenge. That said, the streets are wide and the traffic is light.
Affordability in Kensington, Brooklyn
Bedrooms | Rent | Rent / sqft |
---|---|---|
Studio | $2,055 | $4.12 |
1 BR | $2,300 | $4.14 |
2 BR | $2,875 | N/A |
4+ BR | $4,325 | N/A |
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Kensington is located within 11218. This area currently has 74,831 residents in 24,660 households. Out of the total population, 40.12% of the residents speak another language at home instead of English. The majority of the inhabitants in this zipcode are currently unmarried and have a median age of 33.
When looking at residents older than 25, around 20.32% have graduated from high school, 23.23% have a bachelor's degree, and 19.47% have obtained their master's degree or above. Employment rate is typically around 61.5% and the median income in this zipcode is $60,821.
At least 65.56% of those living in this zipcode are renting their homes. Most residents will commute to work by public transportation with an average commute time of 40 minutes.
Geographically, 11218 is a part of Kings County, New York. This county is currently home to 2,606,852 residents, or 938,803 households with a median income of $50,640. Kings County, New York residents have a median age of 35 and 70.55% are currently renting their homes in the area.
Finally, Kings County, New York is a part of the greater New York - Newark, NY - NJ - CT Urban Area. For those unfamiliar with the area, The New York - Newark, NY - NJ - CT Urban Area is currently home to a population 18,812,161 across 6,707,347 households. Those living in this urban area have a median income of $68,319 and median age of 38. In general, at least 50.07% of the residents are currently renting their homes in this area.