While the name of this neighbourhood will likely always be up for debate, the City has officially branded this area “The Beach” as per its recent installment of new street signs in the district. Well known and loved for its small-town atmosphere, the Beach is popular among tourists and Torontonians alike. It is said that those who move to the Beach stay in the Beach, so the real estate scene here is most predominantly a “sellers’ market.”
Once a heavily wooded area with swampland and a few private homes, the Toronto Harbour Commission appropriated the current shoreline and Kew Gardens in the early 1900s. Many of the homes in this neighbourhood were built as summer homes in the 1920s, particularly those south of Queen Street East, which is now the area’s commercial district and central hub of the community. In 1930, the beach was enlarged and made continuous, while the public facilities and boardwalk (which almost stretches down the entire length of the beach) was opened in 1932. Reaching from the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant in the east and Woodbine Park in the west, the beach is divided into Balmy Beach, Scarboro Beach, Kew Beach and Woodbine Beach. Both Woodbine Beach and Kew-Balmy Beach have received Blue Flag certification for cleanliness, and are considered suitable for swimming.
Tourists in particular are drawn to this area for its clean beaches and the bustling independent specialty stores along Queen Street East. More than a dozen gift shops, at least six pet-supply stores, over two dozen men’s and women’s fashion outlets, and more than 50 restaurants call the Beach “home.” Wildly popular events include the annual Easter parade and the Beaches International Jazz Festival, voted Toronto’s premier outdoor summer music event. A multi-day event highlighting Canadian and international jazz, artists perform on several stages at Woodbine Park, Kew Gardens, or at “Streetfest” a two km stretch of Queen Street East in which 50 jazz bands entertain over one million spectators over three days.