The Beaches

The Beach resembles a lakeside resort town more than a big city neighborhood. In the summer, thousands of Torontonians and tourists visit The Beach to stroll along The Boardwalk, exercise on the Martin Goodman Trail, relax by the water, or shop and dine at the vibrant stores and restaurants on Queen Street. The social hub of The Beach neighborhood is Kew Gardens, which hosts numerous annual events, including a Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting festival, a jazz festival, and an arts and crafts show.

History

The Ashbridge family, who arrived in Canada from Philadelphia in 1793, were the first settlers of The Beach. Ashbridge’s Bay Park is named in honor of these pioneers. The Ashbridges, along with a few other families, farmed the district until the late 1800s, when many of The Beach properties were subdivided. During this period, significant tracts of land were designated for local parks, such as Woodbine, Kew Gardens, Scarboro, Balmy Beach, and Victoria Park, transforming them into Toronto’s lakefront playgrounds. These parks also drew numerous summer cottagers to the area, making The Beaches one of the top cottage destinations for Torontonians. By the 1920s, as the City of Toronto expanded eastward, The Beach was further subdivided for year-round residential development.

  • Queen St E to the North, Victoria Park Ave to the East, Lake Ontario to the South, and Coxwell Ave to the West

  • The Beach has amongst the greatest variety of architectural house styles of any Toronto neighborhood. The charm of these homes is enhanced by tree-lined streets that wind down to the lake. Many of the original frame Beach cottages, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, have been modernized and are still standing today. However, the majority of Beach homes were constructed during the 1920s and 1930s. The former Greenwood racetrack site, located at the foot of Woodbine Avenue, has been transformed into a large new home development known as The Beach. This extensive collection of heritage-inspired custom-built homes includes detached and semi-detached houses, as well as townhomes. Additionally, the development features several low-rise condo and apartment buildings.

    • K-6

      • Adam Beck Junior School

      • Balmy Beach Junior School

      • Kew Beach Junior School

      • Kimberley Junior Public School

      • Norway Junior Public School

      • Williamson Road Junior Public School

    • K-8

      • St. Denis Catholic School

      • St.John Catholic School

    • Grade 7-8

      • Glen Ames Senior Public School

    • Grade 9-12

      • Malvern Collegiate Institute

      • Neil McNeil Catholic High School

      • Notre Dame High School

  • There is a long-standing dispute amongst residents on whether the correct name for the neighbourhood is “The Beaches” or “The Beach.” The history of this controversy goes back several decades and continues to this day, while the more common pronunciation is the plural version.

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