Kent Ave, Bedford Stuyvesant

Kent is an interesting street in Williamsburg. It's not really populated with bars or restaurants but there are a ton of cool apartment buildings if you're ok with a hunt. Kent is about 3 blocks from the main strip that people know in Willy: Bedford. Depending on how far north or south you are Kent can be quite close to the hullaballoo but far enough so that you aren't in the midst of the noise and trash. I stayed on Kent for a summer and the apartment was incredible for the price: that's the great thing about living so far from the stretch. Kent is right on the East River so if you have a west facing apartment, you have an incredible view of Manhattan and the water.
The street, proper, is pretty desolate. But, if you live above North 1st Street, then you are only about a block away from all of the restaurants and bars around Wythe, two blocks from Berry and 3 from the main Bedford strip. So, you're not for lack of things to do nearby.
If you live on Kent close to Broadway, then you are really close to some of the best restaurants in Williamsburg. Diner and Marlow and Sons are both right at Kent and Broadway. And, there's a fantastic little cafe and wine shop right across the street from the restaurants. The only problem is that there's not much else.
One thing to note on Kent is that it can be a little sketchy at night. There are a bunch of high end condos that went up that are now vacant / abandoned. And, because there aren't any businesses on Kent, it's pretty quiet when you're walking home after dark. But, the new waterfront park almost makes up for the danger.

Kent Ave runs along the river and the views breathtaking. You can see the midtown and downtown of Manhattan from this street. It is surrounded by factory buildings, old warehouses and some houses. It is not good for little kids. It is good for taking photos as there most buildings are old and Manhattan's skyscrapers are pretty well visible. Not very safe at night but during the day it makes a great place for a bike ride. Visit the new park on Kent Ave and North 6th and have a picnic while relaxing and looking at the New York City skyline.

Kent Av runs along the East River, in Williamsburg. It offers a great insight into the industrial past of this area, with old factories, among which The Domino building is definitely worth a visit. There is also a beautiful park right at the waterfront (on Kent and N10th) with a beautiful view of Manhattan: Instead of the ‘usual’ Downtown, you can have a look at the Williamsburg Bridge, the Lower East Side, the UN building and other midtown skyscrapers. Kent Av is a perfect street to live if you plan to live in Williamsburg. However, the apartment prices (old houses and luxury condos) will soon reach Manhattan prices.

Kent Avenue has everything most people are looking for when they consider moving to Williamsburg- a nice location (on the water, even!), trendy stores, great restaurants, expensive property... but it's definitely a bit quieter, so if you're someone trying to balance your desire to live in a great, vital neighborhood with the necessity of getting up and going to the dayjob, this is probably a good choice for you.

The cool thing about kent ave is that a good portion of it runs right along the water. If you are looking for a place to live there, you can find some good, interesting views, but you pay for them. In the winter a good breeze can be pretty brutal off the water. For the most part it is with in about three quarters of a mile of the Marcy ave. station or the Bedford ave. station.

Under the williamsburg bridge runs Kent avenue. It is a nice quiet haven...lots of underground music venues and hip eateries. It is a bit of a ways away from the more rambuctious parts of williamsburg, but it is still a very expensive place to live. Very near the beautiful old sugar factory that is in danger of being torn down.