EAST END

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 1800s, when many of The Beach properties were subdivided and large parcels of land were set aside for local parks.

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 Toronto Hunt Club can be added to the network of waterfront and other parks including Woodbine Beach and Ashbridges Bay Park.

The Beach has the greatest variety of architectural house styles of any Toronto neighbourhood. The charm of these homes, mostly built during the 20s and 30s, 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 1800s and the early 1900s 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.

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!

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 and 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.

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.

Community and recreation centres serving the area include the East City YMCA.

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.

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. 

Local schools are excellent and include:

Williamson Rd Jr. School
Balmy Beach Community School
Kew Beach Jr School
Norway Public School
Courcelette Elementary
Adam Beck Jr School
Notre Dame Secondary
Malvern CI
Monarch Park CI
Danforth CI

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.

LESLIEVILLE began as a small village back in the 1850s. The village grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and sons, after whom this neighbourhood is named. 

Leslieville, after many years of playing the role of little brother to more developed Riverdale, has emerged as Toronto's hippest place to dine, drink, shop and live, or so proclaimed a 2005 article in The New York Times that also anointed the neighbourhood as the new Queen Street West. http://www.stompinggrounds.ca/map.php

Historically home to light industry and the Film District, it's now more known as one of Toronto's best brunch destinations and features some great cafes, vintage furniture, fashion and design stores.

Leslieville's first public school principal was Alexander Muir, who composed "The Maple Leaf Forever". Muir's poetic verse was inspired when a brilliant autumn maple leaf fell from a Leslieville tree onto his jacket. That maple tree is still standing today and has become Leslieville's most famous landmark, designated by an historic plaque at the intersection of Laing Street and Memory Lane. Residents have a sense of pride in their quiet east end neighbourhood, evidenced by the historic street signs and family run businesses.

In the fine tradition of Alexander Muir, local schools include:

Duke of Connaught School
Leslieville Jr. School
Roden Jr. School
Bruce Jr. School
Pape Avenue Jr. School
Morse Street School
Bowmore Public School
Riverdale CI
Monarch Park CI
Eastern Commerce CI
Danforth CI

Leslieville still feels a bit like a small village. Its cosy houses, quaint stores, and tree-lined streets seem surprisingly serene and peaceful considering the neighbourhood's close proximity to downtown Toronto.

Leslieville's older houses along Queen Street, and south to Eastern Avenue were built in the late 1800s. They include architecturally interesting Ontario Cottages, Second Empire row houses and Victorian houses. Its second generation of houses, north of Queen, were built in the early 1900s. This district includes modest detached and semi-detached houses as well as a large number of bungalows.

Leslieville's main shopping district runs along historic Queen Street, where the old diners and hardware stores that used to dominate are being pushed out by more trendy shops. Most of these stores are small, independently owned and cater to the specific needs of the local residents. Renewed interest in the neighbourhood has attracted popular restaurants, shops, galleries, antique stores and bakeries to the area - chic restaurants like Bonjour Brioche and Marmalade draw patrons from around the city.

The area on Gerrard Street East between Greenwood Avenue and Coxwell Avenue is known as the ‘India Bazaar'. This is the commercial centre of Toronto's East Indian community and also the largest ethnic market of Indian goods, fashions, fabrics, jewellery and food in North America. The smell of incense and the sound of music provide an exotic backdrop to the shops on this street. The clothing stores sell imported silk fabrics, and the restaurant vendors barbecue spicy corn on the cob out on the sidewalk. The traditional grocery stores and restaurants of Chinatown also increase the diversity of the neighbourhood.

Much of Leslieville's recreation centres around children. The waterfront is nearby, as are numerous parks including Greenwood Park with its artificial ice rink, pool, playground and three baseball diamonds. The city's best birding spot is the Leslie Spit. 

Other nearby parks include:

Withrow Park
Riverdale Park

Ashbridges Bay Park on the south side of Queen is the hub of summer activity in Toronto and features volleyball, an Olympic pool, restaurant, pub and facilities. As well, the S.H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre on Woodfield has an indoor pool, fitness & meeting rooms, and a craft room.

There are three public libraries: 
The Riverdale Branch at 370 Broadview Avenue, the Jones Branch at 118 Jones Avenue and the Gerrard/Ashdale branch at 1432 Gerrard St. E.

Leslieville is well served by public transit which operates bus or streetcar routes on Carlaw, Jones, Greenwood, Coxwell, and Eastern Avenues, as well as Queen and Gerrard Streets. Most of these bus routes link up with stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists can be downtown in minutes. Lake Shore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway are also close by.

RIVERDALE was a small rural community until the Grand Trunk Railway began steaming through it in the 1850s. North of Queen Street, Riverdale remained largely undeveloped until 1884 when it was annexed by the City of Toronto. At that time Riverdale was called Riverside, and was later changed to Riverdale as a reference to the city park of the same name that has long been a landmark in this area. The neighbourhood's development was accelerated in 1918 when the Prince Edward Viaduct linked Riverdale to the City of Toronto west of the Don River.

Today, Riverdale is a large and diverse community, popular with young affluent professionals and especially well-known for its colourful shopping districts and quaint Victorian homes that are shaded by some of the tallest maple trees in the city. South Riverdale has traditionally attracted a wide mix of people looking for affordable homes close to downtown. The district is also known for its very popular schools, like Withrow P.S. and Jackman P.S., much coveted by professional couples with a baby on the way who are planning to stay in the neighbourhood. 

Other well regarded schools include:

Pape Avenue Jr. School

Frankland Community School

Blake St. Jr. Public School

Morse St. School

Leslieville Jr. School

Riverdale CI

A host of alternative schools

Riverdale's two and three storey Victorian houses were built largely between 1880 and 1924. The houses in South Riverdale are on average smaller, older and less expensive than those in North Riverdale. Most of Riverdale's homes have parking off rear laneways, and permits are available for street parking.

Riverdale's best known shopping district is along Danforth Avenue, east of Broadview. The Danforth is the heart of Toronto's Greek community, the second largest such community outside of Greece. It features many first class Greek restaurants and a dazzling array of stores catering to everything from the home & garden to fine jewellers, clothing stores, gifts and collectibles, spas and salons, and more. A walk down Danforth Avenue reveals its rich cultural heritage: street signs are in English and Greek, blue and white Greek flags line the avenue, and the classical architecture of the National Bank of Greece and other buildings contribute to the Mediterranean atmosphere. This is an excellent food & dining destination, as the streets are filled with animated fruit and vegetable stands, butcher shops, Greek bakeries and pastry shops, and dozens of European-style cafe's and restaurants. Many of its restaurants feature open kitchens, where you are welcome to watch the preparation of authentic Greek cuisine.

Riverdale also has a Chinatown shopping district centred around Gerrard and Broadview. This stretch of stores is known for its bakeries, grocery stands, and restaurants. Gerrard Square located at the corner of Pape Avenue and Gerrard Street is a large indoor shopping mall with over 70 stores. Further south, Queen and Broadview Village is an historic shopping district that includes some interesting antique and collectible shops as well as a number of fine restaurants.

Riverdale has a myriad of parks and parkettes situated throughout the neighbourhood. The three largest parks are Riverdale Park, which has an outdoor pool and a running track; Withrow Park, which has a skating rink, two playgrounds, tennis courts, an off-leash park and is popular with families and pets; and Jimmie Simpson Park, which features an indoor swimming pool, a games room and a gymnasium. Each of these Parks contain tennis courts, a wading pool, a hockey rink, and a baseball diamond. 

Other parks include:

Todmorden Mills Park
Greenwood Park

Pape Recreational Centre has a gymnasium, an indoor pool, a weight room and meeting rooms. 

Riverdale has four public libraries that offer a myriad of programs for children, adults and seniors.

Queen/Saulter Branch at 765 Queen St. E.
Riverdale Branch at 370 Broadview Ave
Pape/Danforth Branch at 701 Pape Ave
Jones Branch at 118 Jones Ave

The annual Taste of the Danforth festival, held in early August, is an outstanding opportunity for recreation. Tens of thousands of people converge on the area for a lively weeklong celebration, as the many restaurants set up street kiosks to offer samples. Music, demonstrations, giveaways and many activities for children are also scheduled. "The Danforth" is also a night owl's haven with clubs and cafes open into the wee hours.

Riverdale is an ideal location for commuters. The Don Valley Expressway, Lake Shore Boulevard, and the Gardiner Expressway are all quickly accessed from this neighbourhood. 

There is also excellent access to public transit. There is regular bus service or streetcar service on Broadview, Carlaw, Jones and Greenwood Avenues, as well as Queen and Gerrard Streets. The Bloor-Danforth subway has five stations serving Riverdale, including Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands and Greenwood.