Toronto Real Estate with the Julie Kinnear Team

Toronto Beaches Real Estate

Top rated restaurants »

(3) Grumbles Deli-Cafe

3 stars for the delicious eccles cakes. They also have oversize morning-glory type muffins that seem like they would feed a family of four but I manage to eat one by myself. I have not taken advantage of the deli offerings but it certainly appears to offer interesting german/european goods.

Top rated entertainment & sights »

(1) Taylor Creek Park

This is a great dog walking park for those of us who live north of the Danforth (not really the Beach). This park has lots of pedestrian accesses connected to adjoining neighborhoods as well as parking. You can walk for miles on the paved side of the creek or on the "unofficial" unleashed side to the north. Always freindly traffic of other dog walkers. It is pretty in all seasons but be warned that the creek is badly polluted so try to keep your dog out.

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The Toronto Beaches were first settled by the Ashbridge family who came to Canada from Philadelphia, in 1793. Ashbridge's Bay Park is named after these pioneers. The Ashbridges and a handful of other families farmed this district until the latter part of the 1800's, when many of The Beach properties were subdivided and large parcels of land were set aside for local parks.

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Woodbine, Kew Gardens, Scarboro, Balmy Beach and Victoria Park collectively became Toronto's playgrounds by the lake, attracting many summer cottagers to the area. Over the years The Beach has emerged as one of Toronto's most popular neighbourhoods. On most weekends, the sidewalks are so packed with strollers and dog-walkers that it can be hard to navigate through this beautiful, tightly knit community!

The Beach has the greatest variety of architectural house styles of any Toronto neighbourhood. The charm of these homes, mostly built during the 20's and 30's, is accentuated by the tree-lined streets that wind their way down to the lake. Many of the original frame Beach cottages built in the latter half of the 1800's and the early 1900's have been modernized and are still standing today, often with elaborate floral displays in the summer created by the house-proud residents. The former Greenwood racetrack site located at the foot of Woodbine Avenue is now the site of a large new home development known as The Beach. This large collection of heritage inspired custom built homes includes detached and semi-detached houses, townhomes, and a handful of low-rise condominium apartment buildings.

The Beach looks and feels more like a lakeside resort town than a big city neighbourhood. Its social centre is Kew Gardens, which hosts many annual events including a major jazz festival and a Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting festival.

Toronto Beaches Homes 2

Queen Street is the major shopping district, with many of the stores and restaurants having a beach motif. Check out Lenz and Trenz, Envy Eyewear, Posh and Set Me Free on Queen St. E. for the latest fashions. The Chopping Block, The Beachside Grill and Japango, all on Queen E., satisfy different culinary cravings. Many cafes including The Remarkable Bean on Queen E serve coffee lovers.

The neighbourhood boasts a great deal of colour: Colourful signs, store fronts, homes and people. And they are not just on Queen Street East, there is also plenty to do up on Kingston Road. The Grover Pub & Grub (formerly the Grover Exchange) is a good place to bring the gang and watch the game!

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The ‘India Bazaar' which runs along Gerrard from Greenwood to Coxwell, sells exotic fabrics, foods, and imported goods from India. The shops on Kingston Road also attract local clientele.

You can walk along the beach on the Boardwalk, relax by the water, or exercise along the Martin Goodman Trail which spans the waterfront all the way to the Humber River. The Boardwalk is 3 km long, a beautiful park in itself, with picnic tables, biking and roller-blade trails & a sandy beach. Joggers can be seen as early as 6AM and as late as midnight. For a less-crowded visit to the boardwalk, come down during the week for a pleasant stroll to fine restaurants, ice-cream shops, bars and excellent shopping.

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Sports buffs will enjoy volleyball at Ashbridge's Bay, a park, natural habitat, sports venue (softball) and one of Toronto's best places to be in the warmer seasons. Even as far back as the 1700s, the surrounding marshes in the bay and lower Don Valley surrounding this farm were very important habitat for waterfowl, including loons, wild geese, and wild swans. The City of Toronto has placed thousands of huge boulders along the shoreline to protect it from erosion. All along the shoreline, you are treated to spectacular views, and you are very likely to spot ducks, loons or even swans undisturbed by the Marina, home to the Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club.

The Beach is home to several fairs and concerts throughout the year, including MainStage at Kew Gardens, StreetFest along Queen St. E., and Ovation of Jazz at the Balmy Beach Club – all in July. At the official gateway to Kew Gardens is the Kew Beach War Memorial honouring those who served during both World Wars. The gazebo in the centre of the park is often used as a stage for the many open festivals and concerts held throughout the summer season. There are many arts and craft fairs held here as well. The gardens are still beautifully kept as are the enormous trees shading many parts of the park. On the south end of the park you will find a baseball diamond and a large number of picnic tables, enough to accommodate several baseball teams for their after-game picnic.

Toronto Beaches Kew Gardens Park

The Gerrard/Ashdale public library has a variety of programs for adults and children. An Olympic pool at the foot of Woodbine Avenue provides lessons and a physical challenge.

There are bus or streetcar routes along Queen Street, Kingston Road, Main Street, and Coxwell, all connecting to the subway stations or rapid transit lines. By car it's a short drive to the DVP, the Gardiner and Lake Shore Blvd.

Map of the Toronto Beaches - Click for Larger Version

Map of the Toronto Beaches Neighbourhood