Known for the Washington, DC Temple and its historic background, Kensington is a small town located in Montgomery County, Maryland. This neighborhood offers beautiful housing environments, a MARC station, a large shopping center, and some great neighborhood parks.

North of Bethesda, Maryland

Kensington is belted by Kensington Park Senior Living to the south, Ken-Gar Palisades Park to the west, Perry Avenue to the north, and Capitol View-Homewood Park to the east. North Kensington borders the community to the north; Chevy Chase View and South Kensington are to the south, Garrett Park and later North Bethesda are to the west, and Kemp Mill is to the east. Neighborhoods like Wheaton-Glenmont, Aspen Hill, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Silver Spring are all a short drive away, while the DC-Maryland state line is roughly 15 minutes away.

The History of Kensington

Originally a farming community at Knowles Station, Kensington developed into a summer refuge for Washington, DC. The B&O Railroad completed the station around 1873 and a community eventually arose where the new railroad line intersected the old Rockville-to-Bladensburg road. Upon incorporation in 1894, developer Brainard Warner convinced the Mayor and Council to name the town Kensington after the royal park in London. The historic core of Kensington was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, as the Kensington Historic District. This district includes many of the original houses and buildings that were built when the town was incorporated, with of course many renovations having taken place throughout the decades.

Kensington MARC Station

Kensington Station is currently served by MARC commuter trains operating on the Brunswick Line. The line connects the neighborhood to areas like Washington, DC and Cumberland, Maryland and other points out west. The station and the rest of the community are also served by Ride-On bus connections. Connecticut Avenue bisects the area and contains the majority of traffic flow within the neighborhood. Driving southbound on this road is a direct shot to Washington, DC, with Friendship Heights and Tenleytown the closest neighborhoods. University Boulevard is the other major road in Kensington. Traveling on this route will take you near Westfield Wheaton, where the majority of shopping will take place.

Housing Stock

Kensington is primarily a bedroom community for workers who commute to jobs in Washington, DC. For this reason Kensington has slowly become popular as it provides close access to DC while supplying homeowners with urban and suburban lifestyles. The community is mostly comprised of single-family detached homes, apartment buildings, and townhouses. The historic district is dominated by large late-19th century houses with wraparound porches, stained glass windows, and/or large lawns on tree-lined streets.

Westfield Wheaton

This large indoor mall is just minutes away from Kensington and is located on Veirs Mill Road in nearby Silver Spring. This mall features a wide variety of shopping and dining options, plus a kiddie play area and a train. Some shopping stores located here include Macy’s, Target, H&M, JCPenney, Sears, Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Giant, and Best Buy to name a few. One of the best restaurants within the mall is Hollywood East Cafe. This Chinese restaurant offers weekend Cantonese dim sum and a huge a la carte menu, all in a modern, eco-friendly setting. Some favorite dishes among the locals are the steamed pork buns and the fried taro, which is a personal favorite of mine. Cristina Ristorante Italiano is a wonderful Italian restaurant just across the street from the mall and is a warm, friendly-run cafe serving traditional Italian dishes, plus brunch, cocktails and wine.

K Town Bistro is in the town of Kensington and is more local option for international food. This French restaurant is a casual bistro offering elegant yet comfy surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows. They are best known for their fried oysters and NY strip steak. Other restaurants and bars in Kensington are Frankly...Pizza, Red Ginger, China Gourmet, and Savannahs.

Local Parks & Events

The town of Kensington hosts a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings at the historical train station, which is now the MARC commuter train network. World Book Day is celebrated on the closest Sunday to April 23. This afternoon street festival celebrates the International Day of the Book with live music, author readings, open mic, activities for children and adults, storytellers, and more.

St. Paul Park is located on its namesake street and offers a basketball court, a baseball field, a soccer field, a jogging track, and picnic tables. Capitol View-Homewood Park is to the east of the community and features tennis and basketball courts, a softball field, a soccer field, a playground, picnic areas, and a dog park. Ken-Gar Palisades Park dominates the neighborhood to the west and flows along Rock Creek. This amazing 20-acre park features a playground, softball field, baseball field, multi-use fields, and tennis courts. There is also a recreation building available for rent, while the area is a regular training site for the largest running club in the county. Rock Creek also provides water activities like kayaking and fishing.

An up-and-coming bedroom community just a few miles away from Washington, DC, Kensington offers more than just a great commute. The neighborhood also provides a MARC station, a large shopping mall, and some terrific recreational parks.