Kensington is located to the east of Ladbroke Grove and west of Notting Hill, with the Overground line to the east and the Westway to the south separating it from the latter. Furthermore, the railway lines to the north also cut it off from Kensal Green and Maida Vale, which are across the canal. Thus, the area is more congruent with Ladbroke Grove as a whole.

This area itself is considered upmarket and is comprised mainly of Victorian terrace houses. There are also council estates to the north by the railway lines, constructed in the post-war period. In the middle of the area is Kensington Memorial Park and Carmelite Memorial Gardens, which are surrounded by sixth-form colleges, primary schools, nurseries and other health and educational institutions. To the south is the Westway Sports and Fitness Centre. In general, the area is a cohesive neighbourhood, with good facilities and a decent amount of open space.

North Kensington was the site of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots, which was triggered by an assault against Majbritt Morrison by a gang of white youths on 29 August, and lasted until 5 September. The police would eventually arrest more than 140 people, charging 108 of them. At the time the area was considered a slum, and it was a stronghold of the White Defence League.

In the aftermath of the riots, a Caribbean Carnival was held in St. Pancras Town Hall, organised by an activist; this would become the precursor of today’s famous Notting Hill Carnival.

The area is said to house several famous residents, including former Prime Minister David Cameron, who took out a new mortgage on his £3.5 million house. While he was living in No. 10, the house was rented out for £7,000 a month. Other residents in the area include Martin Lewis from Money Saving Expert, as well as former footballer Alan Mullery.

The area has several good schools, but getting into them is notoriously difficult. The borough had one of the lowest percentages of people getting their first choice for schools, and competition increases every year.

The Elizabeth Line will pass through the area and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has lobbied for years to have a station set up at Old Oak Common. Plans for a station have been in the works since the early 2010s, when it was still called Crossrail. The Elizabeth Line became operational in 2022 and the council has agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost for a station. This would provide the area with a direct connection to Heathrow, Paddington, Bond Street and Canary Wharf. That said, the station is still being tested in virtual reality and its actual construction is still an ambition rather than a concrete plan. Elizabeth line services are expected to start stopping here in 2026 if the station proves to be feasible, but roads in the area have already been closed off to facilitate construction efforts, which could be an optimistic sign.