Is Kensington Gentrifying?

It seems the Wall Street Journal has discovered what Kensington residents already know: The neighborhood's vibrant mix of cultures, relatively inexpensive rents and proximity to Manhattan make it an ideal place to live. 

But is Kensington, a quiet neighborhood largely untouched by the rampant development seen in other parts of the borough, on its way to gentrification?

According to the Journal (and further analyzed by the L Magazine) Kensington is on the precipice of becoming the Next Big Brooklyn Neighborhood, conjuring images of the latte-guzzling literati raising rents and bulldozing longtime mom-and-pop establishments to make way for American Apparel super stores and boutique ice cream shop(pe)s.

Young professionals—known less generously as "gentrifiers"— are likely being lured to the area by its cost-effectiveness, as well as the presence of both the F and G trains and several bus lines, which make it accessible to both Manhattan and other parts of the borough.

"More families and young professionals, priced out of costlier parts of Brooklyn, are moving in, drawn by its relatively affordable prices for cooperative apartments and houses," the Journal said. "The gentrification of the bordering neighborhoods of Ditmas Park and Windsor Terrace is gradually creeping in."

What do you think? Is Kensington really changing? Or, as the L Magazine posits, is this another example of a major newspaper inventing a trend where none may actually exist?

And if it is true? Would an influx of new blood breathe needed economic life into —or just ruin the fabric of a perfectly fine neighborhood?

Take our poll, and tell us your thoughts in the comments.