Unincorporated Town,
Contra Costa County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Code: 94708
Prestigious
village in hills between El
Cerrito and Berkeley. Favorite of University of California families. Lots of
charm. Built out. Stable. The 1990 census tallied 4,974 residents, the 2000
census 4,938. www.mccormacks.com
Few
kids, aging baby boomers and old timers. About 35 percent of residents are over
age 55; only 18 percent under age 18, the last census reported. Median age of
all residents, 47.
Great
views. Some stately homes but many just modest and nice. Few crimes, occasional
burglaries. See Crime.
Some
slide problems near El Cerrito border. Ask Realtors.
Click for regional or detailed map
No
four-lane roads. No traffic lights. Few stores. Quiet and intimate. Measures about 20 blocks east to west, a dozen, north to south; 900 acres.
Unincorporated, meaning it’s governed by the county from Martinez but through
local organizations, Kensington controls its own affairs and fields its own
police, paid for by a special tax levied on homes.
Kensington
Elementary, enrollment 550, the only public school in town, generally scores in the 90th percentile,
the top 10 percent in the state. Town is within West Contra Costa Unified
School District.
Older kids move up to Portola Middle in El Cerrito, then El Cerrito High, which was recently rebuilt, in effect a new, modern campus. The middle school is to be demolished and rebuilt but the school board is undecided where the students will go while this job is being done. The latest proposal: El Cerrito High, and old portable classrooms. Some parents uphappy about this idea. Decision supposed to be made 2010. www.mccormacks.com
Overall
scores at El Cerrito High, on a statewide comparison, land in the 60th
percentile. The school draws many students from the low-income flatlands. But
in advancing students to the University of California, one major test of
quality, the school does unusually well, an indication of a solid prep program.
District residents have passed
renovation-construction bonds totaling $890 million and special taxes to save programs — good support for the schools. On the minus side, the west county district in 2009 went through a long argument with teachers over pay and benefits.
Kensington was built out in the 1940s. It takes in about 2,250 housings units,
86 percent of them owner-occupied single homes, another indication of social
stability.
Freeway
and BART stations about a mile or two away. Close to Berkeley and Albany and
all they offer: fine dining, plays, movies, art galleries, book stores, etc.
Albany has restaurant row, Solano Avenue, that’s within five minutes of
Kensington. Short drive to Berkeley's gourmet section (Chez Panisse). www.mccormacks.com
At
least two golf courses within a five-minute drive. Kensington borders Tilden,
one of the finest and largest parks in the Bay region. Kensington draws its
prestige from its location, from its topography (great views of the Bay and
Golden Gate), and from its neighbors, particularly Berkeley.
If
you like fog, Kensington will please. It is almost directly opposite the Golden
Gate.
Community
web site: www.aboutkensington.com
March 8, 2010
