Is Kensington Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Kensington is a tree-lined, safe neighborhood (composite 6.0) best suited to those prioritizing greenery over rapid transit—just brace for street noise.
Kensington at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #16 of 28
- Safety verdict
- Exceptionally Safe
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 1,048
- ZIP codes
- 11218 (100%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 2 (Church Av, Ditmas Av)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Kensington Safe?
Kensington, Brooklyn scores 6/10 for overall livability, ranking #16 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Kensington is a tree-lined, safe neighborhood (composite 6.0) best suited to those prioritizing greenery over rapid transit—just brace for street noise.
The livability score draws on HPD housing violations, subway access, NYC Parks' tree inventory and parks, and 311 noise complaints per resident from NYC Open Data, refreshed periodically rather than live. It does not include crime; NYPD complaint and shooting figures are on the Kensington safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Kensington address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Practical measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations). Borough medians are computed across DwellCheck's Brooklyn neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find Kensington as a solidly residential neighborhood with plenty of street and park trees—an average of 194 trees within 200 meters and 7.2/10 tree density—that create a leafy street environment. Two-family houses sit on 40% of residential tax lots, alongside walk-up apartment buildings (27%) and one-family houses (21%), with Albemarle Playground about 704 meters away. The F and G trains stop at Church Av, and the F at Ditmas Av, 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 (1,882 complaints in the past year), rodent issues are moderate, and the blocks feel inhabited and lived-in.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
194 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 7.2/10 (city percentile)
In Toronto, 10 more trees on a city block went with a rise in self-rated health comparable to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015, Scientific Reports). In a cross-sectional study of London boroughs, each additional street tree per km of street went with 1.18 fewer antidepressant prescriptions per 1,000 residents (Taylor et al., 2015, Landscape and Urban Planning).
Park Access
1 park
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Albemarle Playground | nearest to the center: Albemarle Playground, 704m | 3 nearest average 704m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
5/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Environmental noise exposure increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease; WHO's night-noise guidelines call average outdoor night noise above 55 dB increasingly dangerous for public health (Basner et al., 2014, The Lancet).
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.
DwellCheck uses the idea in two separate places, and they measure different things. The neighborhood ART score below comes from neighborhood-wide data: up to 5 points from tree density (a city percentile) and up to 5 from how few 311 noise complaints there are per resident. An address report has no ART score. It runs the Wellness checks below, and their points go into the address’s overall score.
More than a point above the Brooklyn median: denser trees, fewer noise complaints per resident, or both.
What an address report checks instead (Wellness)
- ±Sensory environment. A calm score minus a busy score, each starting at 50. Busy: a firehouse within 100m (+15) or 200m (+8), and 311 noise complaints within 200m over 6 months (15+ adds 5, 40+ adds 12, 80+ adds 20, and 3 more at 20+ complaints that include vehicle or street noise). Calm: a library (+15), community garden (+12) or public plaza or atrium (POPS; +15 indoor, +8 outdoor) within 200m, and a park within 300m (+10; +15 at 1+ acre; +20 at 5+ acres). A difference of +20 or more adds 8 points; −10 to −29 costs 2; −30 or less costs 4. Bars, museums, tourists and foot traffic are not counted.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Public libraries, public plazas and atriums (POPS) and community gardens within 400m: 1–2 add 5 points, 3 or more add 10. Cafés and community centers are not counted. In a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies, loneliness or social isolation went with a 29% higher risk of incident coronary heart disease (Valtorta et al., 2016, Heart).
- 0Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets and similar community events in the borough over the past 12 months. The event data has no coordinates, so this is a borough-wide count shown for context. It doesn’t change the score.
Health mechanism. The theory holds that natural settings let directed attention recover. The evidence is mixed: a systematic review of 31 studies (Ohly et al., 2016, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B) found that time in natural environments improved 3 of 13 pooled attention measures (Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward and Trail Making Test B) and showed no marked benefit on the other 10.
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
5.5/10
Borough median: 5.5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
194
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
7.2/10
1,543 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Albemarle Playground
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Albemarle Playground, about 704m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 704m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 7/10 (Brooklyn median 7.5). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 2,827 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Kensington Is For
People who prioritize greenery and parks
Tree density of 7.2/10 and Outdoor score of 5.4 (below the borough median of 5.9) mean you're getting more tree cover than most of Brooklyn. Proximity to Prospect Park edge adds another layer.
Families seeking established blocks
ART/Livability score of 5.6 (above borough median of 4.4) and family-friendly reputation, though noise complaints are moderate—check specific blocks before committing.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent tree density
194 trees average within 200m radius with 7.2/10 tree density
Strong arts and livability metrics
ART/Livability score of 5.6, above the borough median of 4.4, with diverse cuisine and established community character
Trade-offs
Moderate noise levels
1,882 noise complaints recorded (Moderate category), reflecting busy streets and density
Middling commute score
Commute score of 5.5/10 only equals the borough median, despite F train access
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 "Exceptionally Safe", with a lower crime rate per resident than 94% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,048 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. Market pricing isn't aggregated for this neighborhood yet; use DwellCheck to research specific addresses for HPD registration, HPD violations, and other building-level records. DwellCheck doesn't show rent-stabilization status; request the apartment's rent history from DHCR for that.
3How is transit access in Kensington?
Kensington has a commute score of 5.5/10. 2 subway stations serve the area: Church Av, Ditmas Av.
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 #16 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (6/10). It's served by 2 subway stations (Church Av, Ditmas Av). Kensington is a tree-lined, safe neighborhood (composite 6.0) best suited to those prioritizing greenery over rapid transit—just brace for street noise.
6What is it like to live in Kensington?
DwellCheck scores Kensington, Brooklyn from NYC Open Data on practical (HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations)), commute (subway stations and lines in the neighborhood), ART (tree density and 311 noise complaints per resident), outdoor (trees and park proximity). Kensington's composite is 6/10. Kensington is a tree-lined, safe neighborhood (composite 6.0) best suited to those prioritizing greenery over rapid transit—just brace for street noise. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Kensington address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Kensington?
Kensington is in Brooklyn, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Kensington Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK1203), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 12 (Borough Park-Kensington). Its main ZIP code is 11218. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Church Av and Ditmas Av.
8What ZIP code is Kensington in?
Kensington is in ZIP code 11218 (100% of residential units). Shares are of the 14,410 residential units in the Kensington Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK1203), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Kensington at night?
Kensington is classified as "Exceptionally Safe" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 1,048 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.
10Is Kensington dangerous?
By NYPD data, Kensington is rated "Exceptionally Safe", with a lower crime rate per resident than 94% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,048 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Kensington should I avoid?
NYPD complaint records carry approximate incident coordinates, but a neighborhood total can't tell you which blocks drive it, so we don't publish an "avoid this street" list. For a specific block, use DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which counts NYPD crime complaints within a 300m radius of the building over the latest 12 months of published data and compares that count with the borough average.
12Is Kensington a good place to live?
Kensington scores 6/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 94% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Kensington is a tree-lined, safe neighborhood (composite 6.0) best suited to those prioritizing greenery over rapid transit—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).
13What is the average DwellScore in Kensington?
The composite score is 6.0. Practical (7/10) and ART/Livability (5.6) score highest, while outdoor (5.4/10) and commute (5.5/10) lag. The neighborhood's strength lies in trees and safety, not transit speed.
14Is Kensington safe?
Kensington has a lower crime rate per resident than 94% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Crime fell 6.1% year-over-year, with 1,048 total crimes recorded in the past 12 months. Noise complaints (1,882) are moderate; rodent complaints (150) are moderate.
15What's the transit situation?
The F and G trains serve Church Av and the F serves Ditmas Av, providing direct downtown access. Despite this, the commute score is only 5.5/10 (equal to the borough median), suggesting longer travel times to major job centers.
16How green is Kensington?
You'll find an average of 194 trees within 200 meters and a tree density of 7.2/10. Albemarle Playground is the nearest park, about 704m away.
Related Guides
NYC Building Complaints Lookup
Check any building's HPD, DOB, and 311 complaint history before signing.
30 NYC Apartment Red Flags
What to watch for at the viewing, in the listing, and on the landlord.
How to Check Your NYC Landlord
A 5-step free lookup: ACRIS ownership, HPD violations, DOB complaints, lawsuits.
Is My Apartment Rent-Stabilized?
Request a free DHCR rent history and verify stabilization status in 24-72 hours.