Get to know Kensington

Sometimes considered part of the neighboring Flatbush landmass, Kensington stands apart as a primarily residential neighborhood just south of Prospect Park, Green-Wood Cemetary, and Windsor Terrace. Kensington takes its name from the homonymous London neighborhood, fitting because of the array of Victorian-style, vaguely English-inspired homes in this section of Brooklyn. Residences vary, however, and you are as likely to see pre-war apartment buildings, brick rowhouses, and other detached, single-family homes such as American Foursquares. Development of the neighborhood commenced in the 1880s, following the completion of Ocean Parkway. The boulevard begins in Kensington and carves a path through central and southern Brooklyn, down to the Coney Island and Brighton Beach waterfronts. F and G trains stop along the western edge of Kensington, with myriad bus options plus the Q and B mere blocks away in Ditmas Park.

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Kensington Commerce & Culture

While Ocean Parkway forms the north-south spine of Kensington, the grand roadway is not the center of the neighborhood’s commercial life. Shopping and restaurants are concentrated along Coney Island Avenue, Kensington’s eastern border, with more toward the northern edge along Church Avenue and in the southern half on Ditmas Avenue. Maybe not necessarily known for its dining scene, Kensington is home to various diverse cuisines waiting to be discovered. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, an array of offerings await in nearby neighborhoods. For perhaps more outdoorsy activities, however, Kensington’s central Ocean Parkway does compose a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway. A 40-mile network of bicycle and pedestrian paths, this literal scenic route links parks and experiences throughout Brooklyn and Queens, including the New York Hall of Science, Prospect Park, and the New York Aquarium.