a new listing from josh dickinson
709 Wellesley Avenue, Kensington sold for $1,850,000

Details

DETAILS
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Square Footage: 1690 sf
Lot Square Footage: 5600 sf
Year Built: 1957

Smart and sophisticated 3BR, 2BA Kensington home graced with luxury and comfort. The sunny living room welcomes with gleaming oak floors, gas fireplace and multiple windows framing San Francisco and Bay views. The adjacent dining room connects seamlessly with the jaw-dropping chef’s kitchen, thoughtfully upgraded with Silestone counters, custom cabinetry and Fisher & Paykel appliances. Up a few steps from the living areas, two hall bedrooms each have skylights + space for a desk, while the rear bedroom has access to the backyard. The hall bathroom has been stylishly remodeled with tile floors, sleek vanity, lighting & fixtures. Enjoy the private primary bedroom with automatic shades and ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower and designer finishes. The spacious, low-maintenance backyard includes multiple vignettes for entertaining, relaxing and gardening. Meander the stairs and stone pathways up to the two-level deck with expansive bay views. Off the main entry, the two-car garage is equipped with Tesla car charger, epoxy floors & mounted TV for a home gym. Through the garage and up a small ladder reveals a classic darkroom, as well as built-in wooden storage on multiple levels. The property is located a short distance to Kensington Elementary, Upper Kensington shops, epic hiking and multiple AC Transit stops for destinations in Berkeley and beyond.
 

Video

Floor Plan

 

Neighborhood

The community of Kensington is an unincorporated part of Contra Costa County in the Berkeley Hills. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1923 Berkeley Fire resulted in people looking to Kensington for housing alternatives. Streetcar #7, which connected Kensington with Berkeley, and the network of pedestrian paths made it easier to commute from here. By 1930, the population grew from 226 to 1500. Today, the population of about 5,300 cozily squeeze into 1 square mile.

Although unincorporated, Kensington does have its own police and fire departments, park services and trash collection. Tilden Park and Blake Garden are two beautiful green spaces located in and around Kensington. There is also just about anything you could need in one of its two business districts: Colusa Circle and the Arlington. It even has its own town newsletter, the Kensington Outlook. 

A few other interesting facts:

  • Claims the most number of nobel laureates per capita (2/5000)
  • Was the home of Robert Oppenheimer when he was working on the Manhattan Project
  • Kensington Hilltop Elementary is rated in the top 4% of all elementary schools in California 

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