8 reasons it’s great to live in Kensington

and the top 10 things to do while you’re there.

Shhh… it’s Kensington, MD — with it’s older neighborhoods and historic circle and buildings — it has a small town feel, but yet is close-in to DC.

Kensington is nestled in between some great areas. It’s sandwiched just north of Chevy Chase, MD and Washington, DC; east of Bethesda and Rockville; and west of Silver Spring.

So what’s so nice about that? Let’s just make a list, shall we?

8 Reasons it’s great to live in Kensington, MD.

Dining & Jobs You get the benefit of being close to all of the great jobs nearby areas like Washington and Bethesda have to offer, and thankfully, you’ll never be at a loss for new restaurants to explore. Check out Epicurious magazine’s list of Best Places to Eat in Washington, or Bethesda Magazine’s “Best of” list. Being just a short drive away from Bonapetit’s #1 new restaurant of the year can’t be a bad thing either, so don’t miss Rose’s Luxury. Street food more your style? Kensington has Food Truck Night every 1st and 3rd Thursday May-Oct, 5-8pm.
Kid Friendly You can live in a cute little walkable neighborhood, feeling good about your kids hopping house to house old-school-style to visit their friends. It’s not uncommon to see kids forming an impromptu soccer or baseball game on the corner. Mayberry anyone?
Dogs If pups are more your thing than kiddos, you’ll be in great company. You and Fido will make lots of friends as you walk the neighborhoods and parks.
Transportation The Marc Train stops right in Kensington before heading to DC. The train station has good old bones – it was designed by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin and opened in 1891. Kensington is also just a couple miles from several metro stops (Forest Glen, Bethesda, Wheaton).
Small Town Style Kensington has its share of parades and festivals, like the 4th of July Bike Parade, Day of the Book, and the annual Labor Day parade.
Cuteness Factor Noyes Library for Young Children. Yes, Kensington has an adorable historic little cottage library dedicated to young children. The strollers lined up outside are admittedly cute.
Quality According to the site Areavibes, Kensington is listed as the 10th best place to live in Maryland.
Local Places to Check Out Hankering for some good coffee, a yummy bite, or even some yoga? You don’t even need to leave Kensington, there are some great walkable spots right in town. Check out my list below.

Here’s my top 10 list of places to go while you’re in Kensington:

Suburban Trading for great coffee, lunch, dinner and wine. Ladies night anyone?
Killer handmade pizza at Frankly Pizza.
Yoga at the adorable Allay studio.
Cupcakes and sweet treats at Jenny Cakes.
Soft serve ice cream, sandwiches and a curated selection of wines at Old Town Market. They even have wine tastings on Friday nights.
All the best produce at the Saturday farmer’s market. You’ll find awesome fresh produce along with BBQ, Argentinian sandwiches, waffles, paella, fresh coffee, flowers and even locally made bath products.
Gifts, jewelry, and cool shoes at Catch Can.
Preppy personalized gifts at Two Coconuts.
Books, vintage & antiques galore in the historic stretch of Kensington on Howard Ave, AKA “antique row”.
Just a mile or two up the road there’s Pacci’s, a bustling Italian restaurant near the Forest Glen castle, (it’s not technically Kensington – and I admit you may need to hop in your car for the drive up the road for this one – but they have such mouth-watering pizza I had to mention them).