Hello, My name is Richard and I reside in Kensington, Brooklyn near church ave. To me Kensington is right in the center of Brooklyn. To get to anywhere in Brooklyn I am a short trip away. And for me it is more than just a place that my home is in but my community where I have a sense of belonging. I’ve lived in this community for pretty much all my life and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
I live in a 11 story apartment building the tallest around across the street is 2 more buildings and any further are houses. My building is cold war and walking in it you can tell from the old basement and the emergency shelter signs still up in the stairwells. I live on the eighth floor so I can see around me for the most part prospect park right in the distance and across the street is another building. The view isn’t half bad I can even see Manhattan from my window although it is quite far.
Right downstairs around the corner is a restaurant and rite aid with some smaller shops. The few blocks blocks on church avenue is packed with stores. And considering the surrounding area this place is filled with people because if you were to go down a few streets you wouldn’t see that many people. The area is jam packed with traffic in the day bus stops scatters every two or three blocks. And in the heart of it a massive intersection with bus stops, bank, stores, train station, doctors office everything you could think of. There are about 5 schools in Kensington and more blocks away. Education, transportation, food and housing the neighborhood has just about everything seconds away from home. And if you took a few minutes to walk you would hit Prospect Park which in itself is a whole other world to explore, barely a step away. If you drive ocean parkway and prospect expressway is few blocks away to get to and from Manhattan and Queen and anywhere in Brooklyn as quickly as possible.
What I find interesting is the history of Kensington I remember as a kid walking to school on Church Avenue there was this train rail that was still exposed out of the asphalt and concrete. As a kid I had no idea what ran through this community in the past but I later found out it was some kind of electric trolley and there was also a Theater also. I wouldn’t have known also a bank that looks like it has been there for ages and a post office and you can tell they were built a long time ago in the front of the bank is this plated triangle with text in the ground I never knew why it was there. Maybe I’ll find out one day. I believe my building has some kind of bunker below the basement maybe i’ll explore that also one day.
With the mix of cultures of different people from all over the world different shops and foods. I love living in Kensington I’ve grown accustomed to the community. And watching the neighborhood change and improve over the years I love living here nothing that would want me to leave.
