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Kensington is a small unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, essentially an affluent residential neighborhood bordering Berkeley's Northside. It is not a student market — most residents are homeowners and long-term renters — but occasional UC Berkeley grad students and researchers end up here when they want quiet residential streets and Berkeley proximity without Berkeley pricing pressure. Rentals are limited and typically single-family homes or apartment buildings in a primarily residential context. The AC Transit 67 bus connects Kensington to UC Berkeley and BART.
Kensington's main accessible corridor — bus access to Berkeley and the most walkable part of the community. The few apartment rentals that exist tend to be along this corridor.
Closest to Berkeley's Northside, allowing access to the Northside commercial area on foot or bike.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Kensington.
AC Transit bus routes connect Kensington to UC Berkeley and El Cerrito BART. Service is reasonable for a small residential community. The commute to campus is about 20 minutes by bus.
Hilly terrain — not ideal for biking to Berkeley, though manageable in one direction. Walking to campus is a long haul. The area is quiet and residential rather than pedestrian-infrastructure-focused.
Easy. Most rentals include parking. No permit issues.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Kensington is expensive — rentals here reflect the affluent homeowner market and typically run $1,400-$2,000/mo per person. It is not a budget student market, and rental inventory is very limited.