Welcome to The Beaches...

The Beach neighbourhood was originally heavily forested with few private homes inhabiting the then swampy land. In the early 1900s, the shoreline and Kew Gardens private park were acquired by the Toronto Harbour Commission. The commission enlarged the beach in 1930, opening the new public boardwalk in 1932.

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Location

The neighbourhood is bound by Coxwell Avenue to the west, Victoria Park Avenue to the east, Kingston Road to the north, and Queen Street East or Lake Shore Boulevard —as well as Lake Ontario — to the south.

A boardwalk runs most of the length of the southern boundary along the four beaches that make up the shoreline. This makes part of the Martin Goodman Trail that runs west-to-east through the city.

Four separate beaches make up the shoreline: Balmy Beach, Scarboro Beach, Kew Beach, and Woodbine Beach, with Woodbine and Kew beaches “Blue Flag” certified for cleanliness and good for swimming.

The Good News

The neighbourhood has everything you could want. From its boutique stores, restaurants, bistros, bars, and pubs along Queen Street East to the Lake Ontario shoreline and the numerous parks providing great outdoor activity, The Beach has much to offer for everyone.

The Bad News

Because of the immense popularity of the area in the summertime, the neighbourhood can be packed with visitors from across Toronto crowding the beaches and Queen Street East. Traffic in the summer can grind Queen Street East to a standstill.

Homes, Architecture, and Real Estate

Most of the homes on the side streets branching from Queen Street East are semi-detached homes, with some larger Victorian and Edwardian homes that have been either taken by a sole owner or divided into apartments. You can also find some low-rise apartments and a few row-houses.

Some streets have heritage designations in order to help protect the cottage-like appearance of some homes closer to the lakeshore.

Queen Street East is a dense commercial district providing the heart of the urban character for the neighbourhood.

Schools, Colleges, and Universities

There are several schools that service the neighbourhood, making it a perfect area to raise a family.

Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School (127 Victoria Park Avenue, 416-393-5502)
Malvern Collegiate Institute (55 Malvern Avenue, 416-393-1480 (Note: This is the public school just outside of the neighbourhood that services The Beach)
Avalon Children’s Montessori School (31 Wood Glen Road, 416-686-6621)
Kew Beach Junior Public School (101 Kippendavie Avenue, 416-393-1810)
Glen Ames Senior Public School (18 Williamson Road, 416-393-1800)
Kew Beach Montessori School (2 Bellefair Avenue, 416-694-6273)
Williamson Road Junior School (24 Williamson Road, 416-393-1740)

More information on schooling options in East Toronto is available here.

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