Kensington, California: Gardens, Colusa Circle and Community Life

Before the hillside filled with homes, dairy farms were part of Kensington's landscape. According to the Colusa Circle Merchants Association's local history, farmers opposed being included in El Cerrito when it incorporated in 1917. They objected to city taxes and worried that development would interfere with their operations; the new city's boundaries left Kensington outside.

That dispute helps explain a distinction that still matters on the map: Kensington is its own unincorporated community, not a neighborhood within El Cerrito. The dairy farms belong to an earlier landscape, but their owners' opposition helped shape the boundary between the two places.

Blake Garden is UC Berkeley's landscape teaching and research garden in Kensington. The university describes a formal garden with a reflecting pool, a redwood canyon, rock outcrops and areas planted for native habitat.

Its origins have an unexpected connection to Cal football. A 2022 history feature hosted by UC Berkeley connects the Blake family's move to Kensington in the early 1920s with plans for Memorial Stadium. Anita Blake and her sister Mabel Symmes created the initial garden plan and established its major plantings; Mabel was among the early students in Berkeley's landscape architecture program. Their work helped turn a residential hillside garden into the landscape visitors explore today.

That variety gives a visit something to follow beyond a single viewpoint. Looking at the change between a formal garden and a shaded canyon reveals different ways of working with the same hillside terrain. Faculty, staff and student projects also make the garden an active educational landscape rather than only a historic collection.

Visitor access follows the garden's public hours and closure notices. The university identifies steep slopes and partial wheelchair accessibility; check its current visitor information if terrain or access is important to your outing.

Blake Garden belongs here geographically even though UC Berkeley operates it. It should not be confused with the university's separate Botanical Garden above the Berkeley campus.

Inn Kensington, at 293 Arlington Avenue, has operated at the same location since 1981. Its current offerings center on breakfast and lunch, with separate menus for each. It gives Arlington Avenue a place to sit down for a meal as well as a reason to explore this part of Kensington.

Arlington Avenue and Colusa Circle are separate stops. The restaurant's current hours and menus are the useful references for planning a meal; a Sunday visit to the farmers market below has its own rhythm.

The Colusa Circle Merchants Association describes a business and residential district centered on the landscaped traffic circle at Colusa Avenue, Berkeley Park Boulevard and Oak View Avenue. Shops, restaurants and community events surround a gathering point much smaller than a long commercial avenue.

The circle also has a chapter in Bay Area dining history. Narsai David's restaurant operated in Kensington from 1972 to 1986, as described in Ashby Village's 2019 retrospective event introduction. The merchants association's history credits Narsai's with helping revive Colusa Circle in the 1970s. The restaurant is long closed, but its story adds another layer to a district where food remains a reason to gather.

Semifreddi's lists its Kensington bakery café at 372 Colusa Avenue. Bread, pastries and a café stop give a visitor a concrete reason to come to this part of the neighborhood. Its Kensington location is distinct from the company's Alameda headquarters.

The merchants' directory introduces other businesses around the circle, making this a useful starting point for browsing beyond the bakery.

The Kensington Farmers' Market runs on Sundays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., at Colusa Circle, on Oakview Avenue between the circle and Santa Fe Avenue. The County lists it as year-round.

Produce, flowers, prepared foods and live music add to the circle's Sunday activity. The operator describes a picnic area and community seating as part of the market experience.

There is room for both grocery shopping and a meal at the market. Vendor selections and performances change from week to week; check the current listings for a particular visit.

Market details checked September 29, 2026. Times are local; check the operator for holiday closures or schedule changes.

The Kensington Community Council is a nonprofit that offers recreation programs and community events, including classes and camps. Its current program listings are the place to check registration, eligibility and what is available.

The Council also publishes the Kensington Outlook, covering local events and issues. It offers a way to learn about activities beyond the places a visitor happens to pass on a first trip.

The regional introduction to Albany, El Cerrito and Kensington connects these neighboring communities. Each has its own places to explore, from Solano Avenue to the San Pablo corridor and Kensington's hills.

If Kensington is part of your plans, I would be glad to hear what interests you about it.