The Beaches (E01 & E02)
The Beaches is bordered by Coxwell Ave, Victoria Park Ave., the CN tracks south of Danforth Ave., and Lake Ontario. The area north of Kingston Rd. is often referred to as the Upper Beach.It’s a neighbourhood that has long been a popular getaway for Toronto residents; the oldest homes in the area were originally summer cottages. In the 1920s, the land was subdivided for year-round residential use, and most of the houses date from the 1920s and 1930s.
There is no such thing as a typical Beach home. South of Queen St., wood-frame houses date back to the 1800s. North of Queen St., you will find brick houses from the 1930s. Over the last 10 years, the old Greenwood Racetrack land has been developed into semi-detached houses and condominium apartment buildings.
The one thing all the homes have in common is their proximity to the beach and its network of parks, which has helped make it one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the city.
Kew Beach Park is the focal point for the community, a place for people to walk their dogs or see an outdoor concert. Here you’ll also find lit tennis courts and a baseball diamond. The Boardwalk and Martin Goodman Trail extend along the entire shore, and are popular with runners, cyclists, roller-bladers and families out for a stroll. Just off the Boardwalk is the outdoor Olympic-sized Donald Summerville Pool.
The area has several water recreation clubs, including the Balmy Beach Canoe Club, the Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club and the Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing Club.
Shops and restaurants catering to both locals and tourists line Queen St. East; clothing and interior decorating shops are particularly abundant.
School Information
Adam Beck Jr. Public School
Public elementary (JK-6)
400 Scarborough Rd.
416.393.1682
Balmy Beach Community Jr. School
Public elementary (JK-6)
14 Pine Ave.
416.393.1565
Beaches Junior Alternative School
Public elementary (JK-4)
50 Swanwick Ave.
416.393.1451
Kew Beach Jr. Public School
Public elementary (JK-6)
101 Kippendavie Ave.
416.393.1810
Kimberley Jr. Public School
Public elementary (JK-6)
50 Swanwick Ave.
416.393.1450
Norway Public School
Public elementary (JK-6)
55 Corley Ave.
416.393.1700
Williamson Road Jr. Public School
Public elementary (JK-6)
24 Williamson Road.
416.393.1740
Glen Ames Sr. Public School
Public elementary (7-8)
18 Williamson Rd.
416.393.1800
Malvern Collegiate Institute
Public secondary
55 Malvern Ave.
416.393.1480
St. Denis Catholic School
Separate elementary (JK-8)
67 Balsam Ave.
416.393.5310
St. John Catholic School
Separate elementary (JK-8)
780 Kingston Rd.
416.393.5220
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School
Separate secondary
12 Malvern Ave.
416.393.5501