Kensington, California, is a compact, unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, set in the hills between Berkeley, El Cerrito, and the open space of Tilden and Wildcat Canyon. It’s best known for its winding streets, detached homes, vibrant gardens, Bay views, and small commercial pockets around Colusa Circle and Arlington Avenue.
The character of Kensington shifts quickly with elevation. Close to Colusa Circle, Berkeley and El Cerrito feel just around the corner. Higher in the hills, roads curve around steeper lots, views open up, and access to trails and open space become more abundant.
Kensington is primarily a community with a relatively high density of single-family, detached homes. The result is a compact residential community where terrain, landscaping, and elevation give each street and neighborhood its own unique characteristics.
The homes were built across several eras rather than in one uniform wave. Earlier houses sit alongside 1950s mid-century designs and later-built custom homes. Architect-designed mid-century homes are a notable part of the mix, including Roger Lee’s Reed Place group, designed to make thoughtful use of smaller spaces and the surrounding landscape.
On steeper lots, houses often respond directly to the grade. Buyers may encounter split-level or multilevel floor plans, street-level entrances on an upper floor, terraced gardens, view decks, carports, and outdoor stairs connecting different parts of the property. Closer to Colusa Circle, streets and lots generally become less steep, creating a different relationship between the home, yard, and sidewalk.
Colusa Circle is one of Kensington’s main gathering points, with locally owned restaurants, shops, services, and the Kensington Farmers’ Market. The market takes over part of Oak View Avenue every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., bringing produce, prepared food, music, and neighbors together around the circle.
Along Arlington Avenue, another small pocket of businesses sits near Kensington Park and the Community Center. The park includes grassy fields, a playground, courts, and picnic areas. The Kensington Community Council also runs after-school enrichment, summer camp, and adult and family programs there.
One of Kensington’s most distinctive places is Blake Garden, UC Berkeley’s ten-acre landscape laboratory. Its gardens, redwood canyon, rock outcroppings, Cerrito Creek, and Bay views are open to visitors during posted hours, with no admission fee or reservation required.
Kensington also borders Tilden Regional Park and Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Public paths connect some residential streets, while nearby park trails open onto ridgelines, wooded canyons, and longer routes through the East Bay hills.
Kensington does not have its own BART station, but access is close by. AC Transit’s Arlington route connects the hills with El Cerrito del Norte BART, while service along Colusa Avenue reaches El Cerrito Plaza BART and Berkeley.
Rachel Melby
Kensington Food Truck Fridays: “Every second Friday, food trucks and food lovers gather in the park for a relaxing dinner and good vibes.”
Nobu Medspa: “For all of your facial “extras” — microneedling, hydrofacials, and more.”
Rachel Sheftel
Semifreddi’s: “This East Bay classic ships far and wide, but in Kensington you can buy it straight from the source.”
Benchmark Pizza: “Al fresco dining at Benchmark always makes me feel like I’m on the streets of Europe. We need more of this!”
Where a home sits on the hill shapes much of the experience.
Near Colusa Circle, shops, the Sunday market, and the Berkeley border are close at hand.
Along Arlington Avenue, the park, Community Center, and bus service are nearby.
Higher streets bring broader views, more varied terrain, and quicker access to regional parkland.
Kensington’s older homes often pair original character with decades of additions and updates. Reviewing foundation and seismic work, electrical and plumbing systems, roof and drainage history, permits, and converted spaces can help buyers understand how a house has evolved.
On sloped properties, it is also worth looking closely at retaining walls, exterior stairs, drainage, garage access, vegetation management, and how each floor connects to the yard. Insurance availability and wildfire requirements should be researched early, particularly closer to open space.
For buyers drawn to distinctive hillside homes, Bay views, a school and recreation hub within the community, Sunday mornings at Colusa Circle, and quick access to Tilden and Wildcat Canyon, Kensington offers a small-scale East Bay setting with real character. Its best qualities are highly block-specific, which is exactly why local knowledge matters here.
5,292 people live in Kensington, where the median age is 46 and the average individual income is $104,366. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Kensington has 2,131 households, with an average household size of 2.48. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Kensington do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 5,292 people call Kensington home. The population density is 5,491 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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