The Beach

The Beach, sometimes — and unofficially — called The Beaches, is a distinctive neighbourhood in southeast Toronto. The district centres on the commercial strip of Queen Street East and extends north to Kingston Road, south to Lake Ontario, east to Victoria Park Avenue and west to Leslie Street.

The area is characterized by several notable elements. The commercial strip on Queen is home to unique, independently owned specialty shops, services, restaurants and cafés, many of which are award-winning, charming — or both.

As the name of the area implies, there are beaches along the lakeshore including Woodbine, Kew and Balmy.

The R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is a fascinating structure that looks more like a castle than a public works building. Dog walkers, wanderers and photographers frequent the grounds here.

Single-family detached homes of Victorian and Georgian vintage line The Beach’s side streets, as do low-rise apartment buildings, row houses and townhouses. Working professionals and families call the neighbourhood home.

Several notable celebrities have lived or gone to school in or near The Beach, including actor Donald Sutherland and his son Kiefer, [i]Jeopardy[/i] host Alex Trebek, director Norman Jewison and pianist Glen Gould.

A fuller profile of the Beach is being developed and will appear in this place shortly. To contribute to the profile or to publish your own impressions or memories of life in this community, email the editors at [email=stringers@mytowncrier.ca]stringers@mytowncrier.ca[/email].