10. Famous residents have included Sufjan Stevens and Marky Ramone
Kensington is not necessarily known for its famous residents, though a handful have called the quiet neighborhood home. One of the most famous is Sufjan Stevens, a singer-songwriter who has received Grammy and Academy Award nominations. Stevens gained fame for his mixed-medium project The BQE, named after the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music for its New Wave Festival. Over the years, Stevens has collaborated with Brooklyn-based artists and musicians, such as Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner on Planetarium. Stevens currently operates the record label Asthmatic Kitty Records from his Kensington home.
American drummer Marky Ramone (Marc Steven Bell) resided at 640 Ditmas Avenue throughout much of his childhood, attending school at Flatbush’s Erasmus Hall High School. He replaced Tommy Ramone in the Ramones in 1978 and has performed in other heavy metal and punk rock bands. Ramone now lives in Brooklyn Heights. Sid Luckman, a Hall of Fame quarterback with the Chicago Bears who led them to four NFL championships, lived at 318 East 8th Street. A number of leading Orthodox Jewish figures also have lived in Kensington.
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