Brooklyn Girls -- Kensington??

Hi girls,
I've been looking and looking to buy in Park Slope (impossible) and Windsor Terrace (possible, but small for the $). Today we looked at a place in Kensington - which was so much bigger and nicer than any apartment we looked at in PS or WT.
Anyone live there, or spend any time in Kensington. We walked around, it seemed like a nice family-oriented neighborhood, but was just wondering if anyone here had any experience with the neighborhood.
TIA!

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Posted by betani

we were looking there for a while and have a few friends over there. it's really safe, family oriented, and parts of it seem to be picking up (in terms of developments, etc.) which means the real estate value will go up. the downside is that it's fairly quiet (not many restaurants, etc.) so if you're used to park slope you might be a little stir crazy until you get used to it. dh and i put our house search on a hold but did find you got SO much more for your money over there with both renting and buying. the apartments were gorgeous! (and i don't know about you, but the ones we were looking at had washers and dryers AND dishwashers in the apartment. a godsend for living in nyc!)

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Yup, the one we saw today was brand new construction - dishwasher, washer/dryer in a closet, it was really sooo much nicer than anything we saw in Park Slope/Windsor Terrace, and soooo much cheaper. The comparable new buildings on 4th Ave (not even the nicer part of the slope) were literally double the price

How do your friends like living there?
I am afraid of going stir crazy - but I do go out a lot, and DH was saying its 2 subway stops away -- but we moved to park slope because it was close to the city -- not we are moving to Kensington because its close to Park Slope which is close to the city.

I love our location now, but our apt. really is a dump, and we definitely do not want to have a child in this apartment. We also do want to buy soon.

Thank you for your input!
Sorry this response was so long!

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Posted by MsPotterhead

Yup, the one we saw today was brand new construction - dishwasher, washer/dryer in a closet, it was really sooo much nicer than anything we saw in Park Slope/Windsor Terrace, and soooo much cheaper. The comparable new buildings on 4th Ave (not even the nicer part of the slope) were literally double the price

How do your friends like living there?
I am afraid of going stir crazy - but I do go out a lot, and DH was saying its 2 subway stops away -- but we moved to park slope because it was close to the city -- not we are moving to Kensington because its close to Park Slope which is close to the city.

I love our location now, but our apt. really is a dump, and we definitely do not want to have a child in this apartment. We also do want to buy soon.

Thank you for your input!
Sorry this response was so long!

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i know how you feel about the apartment. we actually have a very nice apartment but it's on the edge of crown heights and prospect heights. it's not a bad area but it's not all that nice looking either. i work in park slope so the brownstones are just taunting me... heh

my friend really likes living there and it's really not that far away. the q train is express to manhattan so it doesn't take that long to get there.

it really is quiet though - very nice but quiet. try spending a day there and see how you like it. it's definitely a nice place to raise kids but without all the activities that park slope has to offer.

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Posted by betani

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Posted by MsPotterhead

Yup, the one we saw today was brand new construction - dishwasher, washer/dryer in a closet, it was really sooo much nicer than anything we saw in Park Slope/Windsor Terrace, and soooo much cheaper. The comparable new buildings on 4th Ave (not even the nicer part of the slope) were literally double the price

How do your friends like living there?
I am afraid of going stir crazy - but I do go out a lot, and DH was saying its 2 subway stops away -- but we moved to park slope because it was close to the city -- not we are moving to Kensington because its close to Park Slope which is close to the city.

I love our location now, but our apt. really is a dump, and we definitely do not want to have a child in this apartment. We also do want to buy soon.

Thank you for your input!
Sorry this response was so long!

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i know how you feel about the apartment. we actually have a very nice apartment but it's on the edge of crown heights and prospect heights. it's not a bad area but it's not all that nice looking either. i work in park slope so the brownstones are just taunting me... heh

my friend really likes living there and it's really not that far away. the q train is express to manhattan so it doesn't take that long to get there.

it really is quiet though - very nice but quiet. try spending a day there and see how you like it. it's definitely a nice place to raise kids but without all the activities that park slope has to offer.

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That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

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Posted by skinny237

What about Williamsburg?

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I always thought of Williamsburg as a neighborhood of young artists/post college students. I know a lot of people who live or lived there, but I always thought it was more of a party/artsy atmosphere rather than a place to start a family. I love an artsy atmosphere, but at this point, I'd rather be surrounded by families - everyone I know who lives there are in their 20's, living with roomates. I'm 35 and wanting to start a family.

Am I wrong? Do you live there or have friends/family who live there?

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Posted by MsPotterhead

That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

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i know - believe me we're going through the same thing. as nice as kensington is and as much as you get for your money it's a lot slower then i'm used to... i'd really love to move to park slope too but the $$$!

if you're looking at li too, baldwin's a little closer than merrick (if i'm remembering right) and is a good school district. we looked there for a bit too. right now we're just putting things on hold which is a little nerve wracking considering we're expecting our first in june and our lease is up in november. we can do the one bedroom until then, but come november i'd love to be buying something... i'll let you know if i hear of anything good.

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Posted by MsPotterhead

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Posted by skinny237

What about Williamsburg?

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I always thought of Williamsburg as a neighborhood of young artists/post college students. I know a lot of people who live or lived there, but I always thought it was more of a party/artsy atmosphere rather than a place to start a family. I love an artsy atmosphere, but at this point, I'd rather be surrounded by families - everyone I know who lives there are in their 20's, living with roomates. I'm 35 and wanting to start a family.

Am I wrong? Do you live there or have friends/family who live there?

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It's actually changing a lot. It's so close to Manhattan yet the prices are still reasonable so it's attracting a lot of families now. May be worth lookigng into...

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Posted by Mici n KC

My friend lives in Brooklyn Heights and it's beautiful over there. It's right on the water and 2 stops from the city (maybe it's the first, I don't remember). Great area!

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Oh, Brooklyn Heights is absolutely an amazing neighborhood, but even more expensive than Park Slope!!

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Posted by skinny237

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Posted by MsPotterhead

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Posted by skinny237

What about Williamsburg?

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I always thought of Williamsburg as a neighborhood of young artists/post college students. I know a lot of people who live or lived there, but I always thought it was more of a party/artsy atmosphere rather than a place to start a family. I love an artsy atmosphere, but at this point, I'd rather be surrounded by families - everyone I know who lives there are in their 20's, living with roomates. I'm 35 and wanting to start a family.

Am I wrong? Do you live there or have friends/family who live there?

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It's actually changing a lot. It's so close to Manhattan yet the prices are still reasonable so it's attracting a lot of families now. May be worth lookigng into...

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Thanks for the tip

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Posted by betani

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Posted by MsPotterhead

That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

---

i know - believe me we're going through the same thing. as nice as kensington is and as much as you get for your money it's a lot slower then i'm used to... i'd really love to move to park slope too but the $$$!

if you're looking at li too, baldwin's a little closer than merrick (if i'm remembering right) and is a good school district. we looked there for a bit too. right now we're just putting things on hold which is a little nerve wracking considering we're expecting our first in june and our lease is up in november. we can do the one bedroom until then, but come november i'd love to be buying something... i'll let you know if i hear of anything good.

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Congrats on expecting!
We aren't there yet, but want to start trying soon. Good luck to you too!
When I told my gyno we didn't want to start trying until we found a bigger place, he said 'For the first year a baby lives in a crib - you don't need a mansion, you just need love!'
I liked that, yet found him very pushy at the same time - the second he heard I just got married, he gave me samples of pre-natal vitamins, when I wanted samples of the pill!
(I did leave with both, which was pretty funny ) - sorry if this was TMI, I tend to ramble sometimes!

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Posted by MsPotterhead

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Posted by betani

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Posted by MsPotterhead

That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

---

i know - believe me we're going through the same thing. as nice as kensington is and as much as you get for your money it's a lot slower then i'm used to... i'd really love to move to park slope too but the $$$!

if you're looking at li too, baldwin's a little closer than merrick (if i'm remembering right) and is a good school district. we looked there for a bit too. right now we're just putting things on hold which is a little nerve wracking considering we're expecting our first in june and our lease is up in november. we can do the one bedroom until then, but come november i'd love to be buying something... i'll let you know if i hear of anything good.

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Congrats on expecting!
We aren't there yet, but want to start trying soon. Good luck to you too!
When I told my gyno we didn't want to start trying until we found a bigger place, he said 'For the first year a baby lives in a crib - you don't need a mansion, you just need love!'
I liked that, yet found him very pushy at the same time - the second he heard I just got married, he gave me samples of pre-natal vitamins, when I wanted samples of the pill!
(I did leave with both, which was pretty funny ) - sorry if this was TMI, I tend to ramble sometimes!

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thanks! it's true that they don't need space! my friend's baby slept in a big tupperware in their bedroom for her first few weeks b/c they were in the process of moving! i'm still missing getting to decorate a nursery though, which is a bit disappointing (but small on the list of things to do i guess).

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Posted by betani

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Posted by MsPotterhead

That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

---

i know - believe me we're going through the same thing. as nice as kensington is and as much as you get for your money it's a lot slower then i'm used to... i'd really love to move to park slope too but the $$$!

if you're looking at li too, baldwin's a little closer than merrick (if i'm remembering right) and is a good school district. we looked there for a bit too. right now we're just putting things on hold which is a little nerve wracking considering we're expecting our first in june and our lease is up in november. we can do the one bedroom until then, but come november i'd love to be buying something... i'll let you know if i hear of anything good.

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If I remember correctly from years ago when I worked in NYC...there are express LIRR trains from Rockville Centre into Penn Station....

HTH

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Posted by DeeDee1013

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Posted by betani

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Posted by MsPotterhead

That's what scares me - how would I spend a day there- doing what! ?

I guess I've gotten spoiled. Our rent is great as is our location, but its an old, crappy 1 bedroom, it really is time to move on.

So, its time to finally grow up at 35!

We've been looking all over, really can't make up our mind where we want to live. We also looked a bit on LI - we looked at Merrick - really nice homes for the price of a 2 bedroom condo, but its a little too far from the city for us. We looked at Forest Hills too - also nice, but almost the same prices as Brooklyn, so we'd rather stay in Brooklyn.

This is sooo hard!

---

i know - believe me we're going through the same thing. as nice as kensington is and as much as you get for your money it's a lot slower then i'm used to... i'd really love to move to park slope too but the $$$!

if you're looking at li too, baldwin's a little closer than merrick (if i'm remembering right) and is a good school district. we looked there for a bit too. right now we're just putting things on hold which is a little nerve wracking considering we're expecting our first in june and our lease is up in november. we can do the one bedroom until then, but come november i'd love to be buying something... i'll let you know if i hear of anything good.

---

If I remember correctly from years ago when I worked in NYC...there are express LIRR trains from Rockville Centre into Penn Station....

HTH

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Thank you!