Kensington, Brooklyn

Where the Bobos Now Buy In Brooklyn
Take the train to savings! Sheepshead Bay, Bay Ridge, Kensington—the first-time buyers are flocking there

For first-time buyers, the trade-off between convenience and environmentoften leads to longer commutes but quieter home living. Julie Seltzer, a33-year-old transportation planner, and her husband bought a house inKensington in 2004. Ms. Seltzer travels 45 minutes to and from midtownManhattan every day.
After renting a house with her husband in Bensonhurst for four years, Ms.Seltzer knew she wanted to buy a home in a similarly quiet Brooklynneighborhood.
She and her husband live in a three-bedroom postwar co-op, and it tookthem two years and countless trips to Bay Ridge, Fort Greene and CarrollGardens to find it. They paid $313,000 for their apartment back in 2004,and similar units in the neighborhood are now on the market for over$500,000.
“We like the neighborhood a lot,” Ms. Seltzer said. “We like that it issafe, close to the train and a five-minute walk to Prospect Park.”
Back in her postcollege years, Ms. Seltzer, who was born and raised inQueens, thought about living in Manhattan, but she’s happy where she isnow. “It’s nice not to have 100 people running outside your door everyday. It’s quiet and more relaxing in Brooklyn and it feels moreneighborhoody here than in Manhattan.”