Is Kensington Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Kensington is a fundamentally practical, tree-lined neighborhood (composite 6.5) best suited to those prioritizing daily walkability and greenery over rapid transit or financial upside—just brace for street noise.
Kensington at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6.5/10
- Borough rank
- #7 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Much Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 1,100
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 3 (Avenue I, Avenue N, Avenue P)
- Active listings
- 3
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Kensington Safe?
Kensington, Brooklyn scores 6.5/10 for overall livability, ranking #7 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Kensington is a fundamentally practical, tree-lined neighborhood (composite 6.5) best suited to those prioritizing daily walkability and greenery over rapid transit or financial upside—just brace for street noise.
This score aggregates live NYPD crime data, 311 safety complaints, shooting incidents, and building health signals within walking distance. Safety varies by block — check a specific Kensington address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find Kensington as a solidly residential neighborhood with a dense canopy overhead—an average of 132 trees within 200 meters and 9.5/10 canopy density—that creates a leafy street environment. The area is anchored by mid-rise buildings (67% of the stock) alongside classic walk-ups, with parks like Friends Field and Gravesend Park within a 10-minute walk. The F train runs along Avenue I, N, and P, giving you direct access to downtown without needing a transfer. It's a neighborhood built for daily life rather than destination visits: you'll hear considerable street noise (1,286 complaints in the past year), but rodent issues are minimal, and the blocks feel inhabited and lived-in.
Analysis based on 3 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
132 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 9.5/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
Friends Field
Avg 578m away | Score: 2.4/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
6/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Chronic noise above 55 dB at night associated with 8% cardiovascular mortality increase (Basner et al., 2014)
Street Character
0/10
Enclosure: 0/10
What is the ART Score?
ART stands for Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) — the framework environmental psychologists use to measure whether a place helps your brain recover from mental fatigue, or pushes it deeper into overload. Cities deplete directed attention (the effortful focus you use at work); exposure to restorative environments replenishes it.
We compute an ART score for every block by combining four signals: access to restorative zones (parks, museums, libraries), sensory load (nightlife and tourist density), street vitality (Jane Jacobs’ “eyes on the street”), and third places (Oldenburg’s informal community spaces).
Meaningfully more restorative than the Brooklyn average — expect lower sensory load and better access to restorative zones than most of the borough.
What drives the score
- +Restorative zones. Museums, libraries, community gardens, and parks within walking distance. “Soft fascination” stimuli (clouds, tree branches, water) let directed attention recover without effort — the Kaplans’ core mechanism.
- −Sensory load. Bar and nightclub density (5+ within 150m), firehouse siren corridors, tourist chokepoints, and very high foot traffic push the score down by up to 8 points.
- +Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets, and community festivals over the past 12 months — a proxy for “eyes on the street” and the informal surveillance that makes blocks feel safe and maintained.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Cafés, public plazas (POPS), community centers — the “anchors of community life” that buffer against social isolation. Loneliness has been linked to 29% higher incident coronary heart disease risk (Valtorta et al., 2016).
Health mechanism. Directed-attention fatigue (DAF) is linked to impaired decision-making, irritability, and elevated cortisol. A meta-analysis of 60+ studies (Ohly et al., 2016) found restorative environment exposure significantly improves attention-task performance (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.32) and reduces negative affect.
Theoretical foundations. Kaplan & Kaplan (1989), The Experience of Nature; Jacobs (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities; Oldenburg (1989), The Great Good Place.
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
5/10
Borough median: 6.5/10
Walk Score Proxy
0/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$0
Price per Sq Ft
$0
Price Distribution
Price by Building Type
Investment Indicators
Avg Unused FAR
0 sqft
Development rights potential
Unused development rights valued at $30-$80/sqft in Brooklyn (Glaeser, 2011)
Avg Days on Market
0
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
0%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
132
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Friends Field
- Gravesend Park
- Colonel David Marcus Playground
- Dahill Triangle
Avg distance: 578m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Kensington Is For
Practical-minded renters
Practical score of 9/10 (well above borough median of 5.5) reflects solid transit access, walkable services, and low rodent complaints. This is a neighborhood optimized for the fundamentals of daily living.
People who prioritize greenery and parks
Canopy density of 9.5/10 and Outdoor score of 4.7 (matching borough average) mean you're getting more tree cover than most of Brooklyn. Proximity to Prospect Park edge adds another layer.
Families seeking established, quiet blocks
ART/Livability score of 6.8 (above borough median of 5) and family-friendly reputation, though noise complaints are very high—check specific blocks before committing.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent tree canopy coverage
132 trees average within 200m radius with 9.5/10 canopy density—among the greenest blocks in Brooklyn
Practical, walkable infrastructure
Practical score of 9/10 reflects accessible transit (F train on three avenues), services, and low rodent complaints (56 total)
Strong arts and livability metrics
ART/Livability score of 6.8, above the borough median of 5, with diverse cuisine and established community character
Multiple parks within reach
Friends Field, Gravesend Park, Colonel David Marcus Playground, and Dahill Triangle all average 578m away
Trade-offs
High noise levels
1,286 noise complaints recorded—very high by borough standards, reflecting busy streets and density
Worsening crime trend
Crime increased 137.4% over the past 12 months, though the neighborhood still ranks at the 89th percentile for safety in the borough
Below-average commute times
Commute score of 5/10 lags the borough median of 6.5, despite F train access
Neutral investment profile
Investment score of 5/10 (below borough median of 5.8) suggests limited market momentum
Score Any Address in Kensington
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in KensingtonFrequently Asked Questions about Kensington
1Is Kensington safe?
By NYPD data, Kensington is rated "Much Safer Than Average" — safer than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,100 crime incidents and 0 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Kensington?
Rents in Kensington, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Kensington?
Kensington has a commute score of 5/10. 3 subway stations serve the area: Avenue I, Avenue N, Avenue P.
4What are the best streets in Kensington?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Kensington known for?
Kensington sits in Brooklyn and ranks #7 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.5/10). It's served by 3 subway stations (Avenue I, Avenue N, Avenue P), with a median listing price of $0. Kensington is a fundamentally practical, tree-lined neighborhood (composite 6.5) best suited to those prioritizing daily walkability and greenery over rapid transit or financial upside—just brace for street noise.
6What is it like to live in Kensington?
Living in Kensington, Brooklyn weights against six livability dimensions: practical (HPD-violation density), commute (subway proximity), arts/culture (venue density), outdoor (parks + trees), financial (price level), investment (price trend). Kensington's composite is 6.5/10. Kensington is a fundamentally practical, tree-lined neighborhood (composite 6.5) best suited to those prioritizing daily walkability and greenery over rapid transit or financial upside—just brace for street noise. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Kensington address through DwellCheck.
7Is Kensington expensive?
Median listing price in Kensington, Brooklyn is $0 based on 3 active listings as of 2026-04-05. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Kensington can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Kensington at night?
Kensington is classified as "Much Safer Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 1,100 total crime incidents. Walking at night carries the same risk profile as anywhere in NYC: stay on commercial corridors with foot traffic, avoid empty side streets after midnight, and prefer subway lines that run 24/7.
9Is Kensington dangerous?
By NYPD data, Kensington is rated "Much Safer Than Average" — safer than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,100 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Kensington should I avoid?
NYPD CompStat reports incidents at the precinct level, not block-by-block, so a granular "avoid this street" answer isn't possible from public data alone. The most reliable signal at the block level is DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which weights NYPD incidents within a 250m radius of a specific building. As a general rule across NYC: industrial blocks with no foot traffic are higher-risk than residential blocks; subway-station-adjacent commercial corridors are lowest-risk.
11Is Kensington a good place to live?
Kensington scores 6.5/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 83th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Kensington is a fundamentally practical, tree-lined neighborhood (composite 6.5) best suited to those prioritizing daily walkability and greenery over rapid transit or financial upside—just brace for street noise. Whether it's a good fit depends on what you weight: families, solo renters, and remote workers each prioritize different factors (noise, transit access, parks, building quality).
12What is the average DwellScore in Kensington?
The median composite score is 6.5 (interquartile range 6.1–6.9). Practical infrastructure scores highest at 9/10, while commute and investment lag at 5/10. The neighborhood's strength lies in walkability and trees, not transit speed or market trajectory.
13Is Kensington safe?
Safety ranks at the 89th percentile within Brooklyn, placing it as average for the borough. However, crime rose 137.4% year-over-year, with 705 total crimes recorded in the past 12 months. Noise complaints (1,286) are very high; rodent complaints (56) are low.
14What's the transit situation?
The F train serves three nearby stations (Avenue I, N, and P), providing direct downtown access. Despite this, the commute score is only 5/10 (below the borough median of 6.5), suggesting longer travel times to major job centers.
15How green is Kensington?
Very green. You'll find an average of 132 trees within 200 meters and a canopy density of 9.5/10—among the highest in Brooklyn. Four parks (Friends Field, Gravesend Park, Colonel David Marcus Playground, Dahill Triangle) sit within 578m on average.
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