An Introduction To The Beach
Indeed, once a heavily wooded area with some private homes and swampland, The Beach is, today, a prime destination for trendy Torontonians. The neighbourhood has the appeal of a relaxing and easy-going atmosphere but it is also just a short commute away from the downtown core and home to the commercial strip of Queen Street East, which is characterized by a fantastic mix of shops, restaurants and bars that locals and tourists alike can enjoy.
In essence, The Beach offers an escape from the busy pace of city life but still provides the very best in cosmopolitan living. It combines an excellent location and good quality housing including homes in Victorian and Edwardian styles along the side streets of Queen Street East. The Beach is also not immune to the city’s condo boom.
Alongside the attractions of Queen Street East, The Beach also boasts a long sandy shoreline bordered by the architecturally acclaimed historic building of R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. The inviting Lake Ontario beachfront is a poster feature of The Beach and features an uninterrupted stretch of soft sand, a long boardwalk, and parks including Kew Gardens, host of the Beaches International Jazz Festival every July.
When talking about The Beach, it’s also worth noting that although uninterrupted and continuous, the shoreline is divided into four distinct beaches, which is at the origin of the long-standing dispute around the name of the community. The beaches include Balmy Beach, Scarborough Beach, Kew Beach and Woodbine Beach.
In particular, Woodbine Beach is one of the city’s most popular beaches, host to a number of fun attractions. It’s also a prime location for surfers, volleyball players and people just looking to get a tan. In contrast, Kew-Balmy Beach is a stretch of sand, park and boardwalk for innocent amusement, a mature sibling to the youthful Woodbine Beach next door.
