What is it like to live in Kensington MD?

[Anonymous]

I love living in Kensington!
My favorite part is it’s walkable to Metro and Rock Creek Park (closed to car traffic on weekends)

It’s also starting to get fun stores and restaurants.
Fun new brewery (Baby Cat)
A few good restaurants (Frankly Pizza, Taco Don Perez)

Antique stores still a bit musty, but some regular stores and decent book stores (including non-English language options).

[Anonymous]

Those musty antique shops are not going to be around for long. Babycat is drawing a lot of attention to Kensington’s potential and a lot of retailers are coming in now. Carmen’s, Mezah, and Moby Dick are all opening soon.

https://mocoshow.com/2024/03/05/carmens-to-open-kensington-location/

https://mocoshow.com/2022/05/10/mezeh-to-open-new-kensington-location/

Now that M&T Bank is relocating to Plyers Mill and Connecticut there’s a strong chance there building and parking lot on Howard Rd near the MARC station will be sold and redeveloped. Once that happens I can’t see Antique Row turning over and getting some new and desirable retail options.

[Anonymous]

Those musty antique shops are not going to be around for long. Babycat is drawing a lot of attention to Kensington’s potential and a lot of retailers are coming in now. Carmen’s, Mezah, and Moby Dick are all opening soon.

https://mocoshow.com/2024/03/05/carmens-to-open-kensington-location/

https://mocoshow.com/2022/05/10/mezeh-to-open-new-kensington-location/

Now that M&T Bank is relocating to Plyers Mill and Connecticut there’s a strong chance their building and parking lot on Howard Rd near the MARC station will be sold and redeveloped. Once that happens I can see Antique Row turning over and getting some new and desirable retail options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those musty antique shops are not going to be around for long. Babycat is drawing a lot of attention to Kensington’s potential and a lot of retailers are coming in now. Carmen’s, Mezah, and Moby Dick are all opening soon.

https://mocoshow.com/2024/03/05/carmens-to-open-kensington-location/

https://mocoshow.com/2022/05/10/mezeh-to-open-new-kensington-location/

Now that M&T Bank is relocating to Plyers Mill and Connecticut there’s a strong chance their building and parking lot on Howard Rd near the MARC station will be sold and redeveloped. Once that happens I can see Antique Row turning over and getting some new and desirable retail options.

I hope the antique stores will stay around for a long while - they're a part of the community and have been very active in local events. You may find them "musty", but they bring in a lot of tax dollars.

[Anonymous]

We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

We are looking at this area now. Can you be a bit more specific about where? Are your kids in the public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those musty antique shops are not going to be around for long. Babycat is drawing a lot of attention to Kensington’s potential and a lot of retailers are coming in now. Carmen’s, Mezah, and Moby Dick are all opening soon.

https://mocoshow.com/2024/03/05/carmens-to-open-kensington-location/

https://mocoshow.com/2022/05/10/mezeh-to-open-new-kensington-location/

Now that M&T Bank is relocating to Plyers Mill and Connecticut there’s a strong chance their building and parking lot on Howard Rd near the MARC station will be sold and redeveloped. Once that happens I can see Antique Row turning over and getting some new and desirable retail options.

I hope the antique stores will stay around for a long while - they're a part of the community and have been very active in local events. You may find them "musty", but they bring in a lot of tax dollars.

PP talks about “Howard Rd,” so you can be assured she is ignorant about Kensington!

[Anonymous]

New poster but we also live in the Einstein district. Lovely neighborhood with lots of kids. We can walk to the little town and there’s a few playgrounds as well. There are fun family events like the Labor Day Parade and Fourth Of July. Get on the pool waitlists if you do move. Our kids go to Oakland Terrace which has been great. The other elementary school is Rock View, which I’m not sure about. I have heard mixed things about the middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster but we also live in the Einstein district. Lovely neighborhood with lots of kids. We can walk to the little town and there’s a few playgrounds as well. There are fun family events like the Labor Day Parade and Fourth Of July. Get on the pool waitlists if you do move. Our kids go to Oakland Terrace which has been great. The other elementary school is Rock View, which I’m not sure about. I have heard mixed things about the middle school.

I was born in Bethesda and raised in Chevy Chase, but for all these reasons, we have loved raising our kids in Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

We are looking at this area now. Can you be a bit more specific about where? Are your kids in the public schools?

This is PP. My kids are at Oakland Terrace. We have found it to be a good school with an excellent community. Neighbors like Newport Mill for middle but we’re not there for another year.

[Anonymous]

I lived in an area called Kensington Estates, for about 8 years. It was very quiet, close to many amenities. Generally a good place. Most neighbors were generally unfriendly. We were renters, so that meant we were not allowed to join the neighborhood pool to meet people. Over the course of the 8 years, most of the original brick houses were destroyed and replaced with larger homes. The neighborhood seemed like a great place if you 'fit'. We didn't, so we eventually bought someplace else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

We are looking at this area now. Can you be a bit more specific about where? Are your kids in the public schools?

This is PP. My kids are at Oakland Terrace. We have found it to be a good school with an excellent community. Neighbors like Newport Mill for middle but we’re not there for another year.

The problem with Oakland Terrace ES neighborhoods is the options are usually either:

- 1940s-1950s, 1,500-1,800 sq ft ramblers with small bedrooms and tiny closets; or
- Larger, newer 3,000 sq ft + houses

The former are not that cheap ($600k plus) and there is a not unlikely possibility there may be a lot of issues that can't be seen on inspection due to the age of the house. The latter are $1 million plus. Currently, there are three houses listed within the Oakland Terrace ES boundaries and all of them are listed over $1 million.

So I think when we talk about affordability here it should be prefaced with the word "relatively".

[Anonymous]

Why the heck haven't there been any sfh rentals available in Kensington???? We have been searching since February and trying not to panic. We are a military family who lived in Bethesda before getting overseas and are now returning but really hoping to find a place in Kensington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

We are looking at this area now. Can you be a bit more specific about where? Are your kids in the public schools?

This is PP. My kids are at Oakland Terrace. We have found it to be a good school with an excellent community. Neighbors like Newport Mill for middle but we’re not there for another year.

The problem with Oakland Terrace ES neighborhoods is the options are usually either:

- 1940s-1950s, 1,500-1,800 sq ft ramblers with small bedrooms and tiny closets; or
- Larger, newer 3,000 sq ft + houses

The former are not that cheap ($600k plus) and there is a not unlikely possibility there may be a lot of issues that can't be seen on inspection due to the age of the house. The latter are $1 million plus. Currently, there are three houses listed within the Oakland Terrace ES boundaries and all of them are listed over $1 million.

So I think when we talk about affordability here it should be prefaced with the word "relatively".

Through the years there have always been options in the middle (that is, not tiny ramblers and not massive new builds) in nearby Capitol View Park. It's an excellent neighborhood if you can get in, but there's been hardly any inventory over the past year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the part of Kensington zoned for Einstein that some people on DCUM disparage, and we love it. Great, affordable, and friendly community and an easy walk to all the new retail in/coming to Town of Kensington. Highly recommend.

We are looking at this area now. Can you be a bit more specific about where? Are your kids in the public schools?

This is PP. My kids are at Oakland Terrace. We have found it to be a good school with an excellent community. Neighbors like Newport Mill for middle but we’re not there for another year.

The problem with Oakland Terrace ES neighborhoods is the options are usually either:

- 1940s-1950s, 1,500-1,800 sq ft ramblers with small bedrooms and tiny closets; or
- Larger, newer 3,000 sq ft + houses

The former are not that cheap ($600k plus) and there is a not unlikely possibility there may be a lot of issues that can't be seen on inspection due to the age of the house. The latter are $1 million plus. Currently, there are three houses listed within the Oakland Terrace ES boundaries and all of them are listed over $1 million.

So I think when we talk about affordability here it should be prefaced with the word "relatively".

Through the years there have always been options in the middle (that is, not tiny ramblers and not massive new builds) in nearby Capitol View Park. It's an excellent neighborhood if you can get in, but there's been hardly any inventory over the past year.

That’s technically Silver Spring, yes?