Exceptional Kensington Home

Thanks to its proximity to the University of California, Berkeley campus, Kensington may boast the largest number of Nobel Prize winners of any community in the world. But one look at this neighborhood of large homes in the hilly streets above Berkeley, its commanding views of the Bay Area, and sunny terraced yards will explain why this community is one of the most sought after in the East Bay. Famed architect Bernard Maybeck had a home on Purdue Street. The homes he designed here at the turn of last century have become an informal blueprint for the signature home in Berkeley. These well-proportioned homes are designed for family life and dinner parties. Shingle siding, rustic construction, and bright expansive vistas are the hallmark of the homes in Kensington. Tilden Park provides the boundary to the east. Miles of biking and hiking trails, a miniature steam train, exhibition farm, merry go-round, and the naturally landscaped swimming hole at Lake Anza make Tilden a popular destination for families. Transportation via Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is convenient. Heading on Colusa Avenue leads to the El Cerrito Plaza BART station and a short drive down Arlington Avenue takes you to North Berkeley BART and North Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood. There are two distinct shopping districts in Kensington. El Cerrito means "the little hill" in Spanish, and the town that is perched on the hill above San Francisco Bay offers easy access to Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 to Marin. Hillside homes along the curving streets deliver sweeping views of San Francisco and sunsets over the Golden Gate Bridge. El Cerrito's main shopping corridor is undergoing a rebirth, beginning with Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, which was restored from the former Cerrito Speakeasy Theater. Access to open space and parkland is extensive, with Arlington Park, Cerrito Vista Park, Hillside Natural Area, Huber Park, Poinsett Park, and Tassajara Park & Pottery Studio all nearby. The Ohlone Greenway is a popular trail with hikers and bikers. The University of California, Berkeley is several miles away, and two Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations, at El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte, make commuting easy. El Cerrito Plaza is a major shopping center housing grocery stores, restaurants, bookstores, a pharmacy, and smaller mom-and-pop stores.