Cerrito Village: Exploring Albany, El Cerrito & Kensington

The little hill behind El Cerrito's name actually stands in Albany. Today's Albany Hill was once known as Cerrito de San Antonio; it later inspired the neighboring city's name, meaning “little hill” in Spanish.

I use “Cerrito Village” as a personal nickname for Albany, El Cerrito, and Kensington—not an official district, but three distinct communities connected by familiar streets, local gathering places, and the hills above the Bay. This overview brings them together, while the individual guides explore what makes each place its own.

Albany: Solano Avenue and the shoreline

Albany's stretch of Solano Avenue puts restaurants, cafés and independent shops along one commercial street that continues into Berkeley. The annual Solano Avenue Stroll brings the two cities together, while an ordinary afternoon leaves room to browse and stop for something to eat. Toward the Bay, Albany Hill and the waterfront introduce a different landscape from the shopping street.

The Albany guide takes a closer look at local stops, outdoor places and the garbage-wagon confrontation that helped spur the city's incorporation.

El Cerrito: San Pablo Avenue and the hills above it

San Pablo Avenue carries more than through traffic. El Cerrito's historic sidewalk pavers recall music venues, dining rooms and other chapters of local life. Above the commercial corridor, the Hillside Natural Area offers trails through oak woodland and grassland around the old quarry landscape.

The El Cerrito guide follows those contrasts, from the community once called Rust to its music history, current local destinations and hill views.

Kensington: Colusa Circle and garden paths

Colusa Circle brings shops, food and a Sunday market together around a neighborhood gathering point. Higher in Kensington, Blake Garden offers a different kind of visit: a landscape teaching and research garden with plant collections and designed outdoor spaces. Check the university's public hours and accessibility information before visiting.

The Kensington guide explores these places and the community's history. Unlike Albany and El Cerrito, Kensington is an unincorporated community, not a separate city.

The connections are practical as well as historical. The Ohlone Greenway links Berkeley, Albany and El Cerrito with a shared walking and cycling corridor. Solano Avenue extends across the Albany–Berkeley line, and San Pablo Avenue connects commercial stretches through Albany and El Cerrito. Kensington's hill streets and smaller shopping areas add another scale to the surrounding landscape.

El Cerrito Plaza BART serves southern El Cerrito, northern Albany, Kensington and nearby parts of Berkeley and Richmond. That shared station is a useful example of how everyday destinations cross municipal lines. It does not mean every address has the same walk or connection to transit; the hills and the specific starting point matter.

Two recurring markets bring produce shopping into the weekly rhythm, with different settings: El Cerrito Plaza and the streets beside Colusa Circle.

• El Cerrito Plaza Farmers' Market: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., at El Cerrito Plaza on San Pablo Avenue.
• Kensington Farmers' Market: Sundays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., on Oakview Avenue between Colusa Circle and Santa Fe Avenue.

Market details checked September 29, 2026. Times are local; check the operators for holiday closures or schedule changes. These markets are in El Cerrito and Kensington, respectively—not within Albany. The individual guides offer more context about each setting.

• Albany: Solano Avenue, local history and the waterfront
• El Cerrito: music history, San Pablo Avenue and the hills
• Kensington: Colusa Circle, Blake Garden and hillside history