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Neighbourhood guide

Living in the Beaches, Toronto

A boardwalk and sandy beaches along Lake Ontario, a Queen Street East of cafés, brunch spots and small shops, and streets of houses climbing toward Kingston Road. Here is what renting in the Beaches is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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On the lake Boardwalk Family houses Queen Street East
21 rentals available in the Beaches
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What's it like to live in the Beaches?

The Beaches runs along Lake Ontario at the east end of the old city, from Woodbine Avenue to Victoria Park Avenue, with Queen Street East as its main street and Kingston Road along the top. Some locals still call it the Beach. South of Queen a boardwalk runs behind the sand from Woodbine Beach to Balmy Beach, with Kew Gardens linking the street to the water, and north of Queen the streets climb toward Kingston Road past wooden and brick houses and the Glen Stewart ravine.It is a neighbourhood of houses. In the City's The Beaches neighbourhood, 28% of homes are detached houses and another 19% are semis or row houses, 41% are in low rise buildings, and only 8% are in buildings of five or more storeys. Two thirds were built before 1961. Rentals are mostly flats in houses and duplexes, apartments over the Queen Street shops and a few low rise apartment buildings, and only a quarter of homes are studios or one bedrooms.Most households own. In 2021, 37% rented, the median resident was 44, households averaged 2.3 people, and 61% of commuters drove. Rent sits close to the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,580 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto.Queen Street East covers daily life: a Foodland and Carload on the Beach at Lee Avenue, cafés like Espro, the Sunset Grill and a run of restaurants and bars, and a Coles bookstore and the Beaches library branch, all within a couple of minutes. The Beaches Recreation Centre is about six minutes north, and the Fox Theatre cinema is about 14 minutes east on Queen.It is a long way from downtown. The 501 Queen streetcar reaches Queen Station on Line 1 in about 38 minutes, and the 64 Main bus reaches Main Street Station on Line 2 in about nine, from where Bloor-Yonge is about 15 minutes west and nearby Danforth GO is 14 minutes from Union. The trade-offs are the commute, summer crowds on Queen and at the beach, and a small rental supply that is mostly flats in houses.

Best suited for

  • Families who want the lake nearby
  • Runners, cyclists and dog owners
  • Renters who want a house flat
  • Remote and hybrid workers
  • –Commuters who need a fast trip downtown
  • –Renters who want nightlife at the door

Quick facts

  • Population21,500
  • Renter households37%
  • Median age44
  • Homes built before 196165%

Getting around

The 501 Queen streetcar along the lake, buses north to Line 2, and GO trains from Danforth GO.

86/100

WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and the library along Queen

60/100

Transit accessA streetcar on Queen and buses to Line 2, no subway nearby

78/100

CyclingFlat streets and the Martin Goodman Trail along the lake
Queen Station, Line 138 min by streetcar
Bloor-Yonge, from Main Street15 min by subway
Balmy Beach14 min walk
Main Street Station, Line 29 min by bus
Union Station, from Danforth GO14 min by GO Train
Woodbine Beach20 min walk
501 Queen
64 Main
92 Woodbine South
GO Lakeshore East

The Beaches on the map

The neighbourhood outline, and the places listed further down the page.

Schools and childcare

Kew Beach and Williamson Road junior schools and Glen Ames Senior Public School are all within about seven minutes of Queen and Lee, and St. Denis Catholic School is about 11. Malvern Collegiate is the local public secondary, near Kingston Road. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Queen Street East and Lee Avenue.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Boardwalk Montessori School
Independent · Montessori4 min
Glen Ames Senior Public School
Public · Middle school6 min
Kew Beach Junior Public School
Public · Elementary7 min
Williamson Road Junior Public School
Public · Elementary7 min
St. Denis Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary11 min
Notre Dame High School
Catholic · Girls secondary19 min
Malvern Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary23 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Queen Street East and Lee Avenue. The beach is about eight minutes south through Kew Gardens.

Groceries

  • Foodland1 min
  • Carload on the Beach1 min
  • Rowe Beach Market5 min
  • Bruno's Fine Foods11 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Espro3 min
  • COBS Bread4 min
  • Tori's Bakeshop10 min
  • Remarkable Bean14 min

Food and drink

  • Wild Oregano1 min
  • Captain Jack1 min
  • Sunset Grill2 min
  • Gabby's2 min

Parks and beaches

  • Kew Gardens4 min
  • Beaches Park8 min
  • Glen Stewart Park9 min
  • Balmy Beach Park14 min

Fitness

  • FitnessWorks For Women1 min
  • Beaches Recreation Centre6 min
  • Strong Pilates6 min
  • Beaches Hot Yoga8 min

Everyday services

  • TPL: Beaches Branch1 min
  • Coles1 min
  • Shoppers Drug Mart3 min
  • Fox Theatre14 min

Rent with confidence in the Beaches

What Ontario tenancy rules protect, and how liv.rent keeps the process safe from first message to signed lease.

Deposits are limited

A landlord in Ontario can ask for a rent deposit of up to one month of rent, and it can only be used for your last month. Damage and pet deposits are not allowed, and the landlord owes you interest on the rent deposit every year.

Rent increases are limited

Most rents can go up once every 12 months, by no more than the provincial guideline, with 90 days of written notice. Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, though the landlord still has to give that notice.

Every listing is verified

Landlords complete ID verification before they can post, and you can sign the lease and pay rent through liv.rent, so there is no e-transfer to a stranger.
Furnished flats and summer sublets near the lake are popular, and a listing that asks for money before a viewing is a warning sign. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit and meeting the landlord, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask before you sign. The tenancy points above are general information about renting in Ontario, not legal or financial advice. For guidance on your own tenancy, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.How liv.rent verification works

Beaches rental questions

Is the Beaches expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

About average, on the census. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's The Beaches neighbourhood paid $1,580 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto. A flat listed today asks more than that median, and there are far fewer rentals here than in the condo districts. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

How long is the commute downtown from the Beaches?

The 501 Queen streetcar reaches Queen Station in about 38 minutes. The other way in is the 64 Main bus to Main Street Station, about nine minutes, then Line 2 west or the GO train from nearby Danforth GO, about 14 minutes to Union.

How close is the lake?

Very close. From Queen and Lee, the beach is about eight minutes south through Kew Gardens, Balmy Beach is about 14 minutes east and Woodbine Beach about 20 minutes west, all joined by the boardwalk and the Martin Goodman Trail.

Is the Beaches a good neighbourhood for families?

Yes, it is one of the city's family neighbourhoods. Kew Beach and Williamson Road junior schools and Glen Ames Senior Public School are all within about seven minutes of Queen and Lee, St. Denis Catholic School is about 11, and the beach and parks are a short walk away. Family sized rentals are usually the main and upper floors of houses.

What should I check before renting a flat in a Beaches house?

Ask whether utilities are included or split with the other units, whether there is laundry you can use, and how the space is heated. Basement units should have proper windows and a second way out. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement.

Are Beaches rentals covered by rent control?

Most flats in older houses are, as long as the unit was lived in before November 15, 2018. A unit first occupied after that date, such as a newly created basement apartment, is exempt from the provincial guideline, so the landlord can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Ask before you sign.

Is parking included with Beaches rentals?

Sometimes. Many houses have a driveway or laneway spot, but street parking on the side streets is by permit and fills up near the beach in summer, so ask whether a space comes with the unit.
Ready to look? Browse Beaches rentalsStudios from $1,579 to 2 beds from $1,765
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Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. Population, age and how many households rent come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, as the City of Toronto publishes it for its The Beaches neighbourhood. Rent and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey for October 2025, for the City of Toronto. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto.Listing counts and prices come from liv.rent, so they show what's on the platform rather than the whole city.OpenStreetMap, Statistics Canada, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.