Rentals of the Day: Kensington Picks From Craigslist
A couple of years ago, we knew a lot of people who were moving to Kensington because rentals there were significantly cheaper than in lots of other parts of Brooklyn. When we checked out Craigslist for this batch of rentals, though, none of the apartments seemed like steals. Are there still deals to be had…
A couple of years ago, we knew a lot of people who were moving to Kensington because rentals there were significantly cheaper than in lots of other parts of Brooklyn. When we checked out Craigslist for this batch of rentals, though, none of the apartments seemed like steals. Are there still deals to be had in the area? Here’s what we saw, clockwise, from upper left:
1. Mult. 1-bed, 1-baths, 600-850-sf, terraces, $1600-1700; 955 Coney Island Ave.
2. 2-bedroom plus study, EIK, remodeled bath, $1,900; East 5th St. at Ditmas
3. Spacious studio with new kitchen, wood floor, $950; Ocean Pkwy at Ave. C
4. 1-BR plus office, apx. 1,000-sf; prewar detail, $1,675; East 10th St. at Caton
5. 4-bed, 2-bath, gut-renovated floor-thru, $2,800; Beverly Rd. at East 7th St.
I own a private house in Kensington, its not AS great as Park Slope area, but the rents are cheaper and you are:15 mins from manhattan, 15 mins from Coney Island, 20 mins from Sheepshead Bay and 15 mins from Staten Island. You have all types of stores:Banks,Food Markets,Post Office,Travel Agents,Schools, Bakeries,Laundry mats, Cleaners,Pet Hospital,Churches,Synagogues and Mosques. All this within walking distance from my house. Also buses and trains. I guess its just a matter of what you prefer to have in your area. I would’nt live anywhere else.
If you pay 1650 for a 1BR in Kensington you’re not only a sucker, but an idiot.
Kensington is a crappy immigrant village with not a single decent coffee shop or store, it’s a “melting pot” for sure. But make sure you’re ready for the “quick” 1 hr commute to midtown and the overcrowding on the F that makes morning commutes a joy!
I lived in Kensington for 15 years, and I can vouch that it’s quite a $1tehole.
“hipsters stay out,
park slope wanna-bes stay out
stroller mommies stay out”
Not only is Kensington wonderfully diverse, it’s also paranoid and xenophobic. As a Kensington newcomer, I can only hope this commenter’s roof falls in.
maybe i’ll move there when im 50
we saw many “luxury” loft rentals in bedsty
incluing one of those troutman st bldgs that may have had all their tentants kicked to the curb for lack of CO.
mommies where writing checks on the spot for ridiculously over priced units for their precious hipster artist kids!!
also saw some apts on taffee st in ft greene.
the problem is both ft greene and bedsty have pockets of urban adventurers, there are no produce markets, (i dont mean green markets or food coops) just a basic 24 hour fruit&beggie place like astoria has.
these locations are also full of lazy hipster idiots who marvel at the chance to buy $4 coffee in the ghetto, they are messy, loud, and throw parties all night.
no way, kensington is quiet, clean and does not have homeless, drug addicts, panhandlers, beggars, never seen cars broken into, no idiots blasting car stereos, virutally crime free,
the occasional car accident, but most of the ambulances calls and police sirens are from assisting the elderly population, never seen obnoxious drunks, you can walk down the streets and a bunch of kids will do the unthinkable, actually move out of your way! HAA,,beat that parkslope!
hipsters stay out,
park slope wanna-bes stay out
stroller mommies stay out
i like the quiet, there will never be a barnes and noble, starbucks, or $9 veggie wrap shop around here, thank you!
My husband and I moved to Kensington this past October because we got priced out of BED-STUY! Yes, you read that correctly. We were living there for one year (after getting tired of our 250 sq ft in Manhattan) and during that time rents in the neighborhood went up by 25%, even though there was no improvements to the neighborhood or its amenities. Our landlord jumped on the wagon and raised our rent by only a *generous* 15%. It was not worth the price at all, so we got the heck out and landed in Kensington.
We live in the NW corner of the nabe, close to the cemetery, park, and WT. We have a nice old 1.5 bdrm for $1500. Which after what we have been seeing in other neighborhoods, is reasonable. The apartment is spacious, the streets are clean, it’s safe, and there is some great food and produce here (it’s very hard to find fresh fruits and veges in Bed-Stuy). We love it, and don’t plan on leaving. Fingers crossed that we don’t get priced out and end up having to move to East Flatbush.
So, yes, I’m sure prices are going up, and I’m sure we are paying far more than what are neighbors who have been here for 8 years are paying, but to me this apartment and location is worth what I’m paying.
There are a lot of apartments cheaper than those listed. For instance you can 1brdms for 1000-1200 on East 7th and East 8th in a number of buildings between Caton all the way to Cortelyou based upon the listings I have seen (I own an apartment in the neighborhood but I keep an eye out for affordable rentals for friends). The ones noted here are unusually expensive. Stick to the neighborhood owners – there are a couple large owners who have offices right here in the nabe. And I love living in Kensington!
I don’t understand all of the antagonism toward me (real estate agent)!
Some people choose to work with realtors like me because they understand that we do a lot of homework and try to disclose as much negative stuff about a building/neighborhood as possible so folks can make informed decisions.
I’m not going out there and lying to people to say that there’s all this fun stuff happening in Kensington. I tell them the truth – it’s just 10 minutes from Park Slope on the train, just a 5-15 minute walk to Cortelyou Road, a 2-15 minute walk to Prospect Park, a 5-15 minute walk to the cool park of lower Windsor Terrace with Crossroads, Cynthia King Dance Studio, Juice Box, and Lonelyville.
I DISCLOSE EVERYTHING! EVEN ROACHES, LAZY LANDLORDS, AND BED BUGS! And people are still moving to Kensington. With all of this disclosure, how can my numbers be skewed? If anything, as compared to lying & cheating realtors, my numbers are low. As you may have noticed, my data shows that 1 bedrooms are worth less than those posted by Browntoner.
All you people who say how much stuff is in Kensington have no clue. Rent trends are hard to track and can go up really rapidly.
Yes, I suppose it’s possible that you could have rented stuff in Kensington 1 year ago (during the winter slow season) or a year-and-a-half ago for half as much.
The same trend happened in neighboring Windsor Terrace literally overnight. One year rents went for half as much as the following year.
Are you saying that that is just not possible in Kensington?