on my way to st lawrence market, i decided to make a little detour to sugar beach, and honestly, it…read morefelt like stepping into a quieter little corner of toronto. sugar beach was beautiful and incredibly relaxing. the coarse, gritty sand stretched along part of the water, with lake ontario opening up in front of me. there was something wonderfully inviting and peaceful about standing there with a warm summer breeze rolling in, the water shimmering in the distance and the city somehow feeling a little farther away. this whimsical little urban beach opened in 2010 as part of toronto's waterfront revitalization, transforming what had once been a surface parking lot in a former industrial area into a public space right on the lake. it sits beside the redpath sugar factory, which is where the "sugar" in sugar beach comes from. the beach may look inviting, but there's one small catch: you can't actually swim here. still, it's a lovely place to slow down, settle into a muskoka chair, relax and take in the scenery. the weeping willows swayed softly in the breeze, their branches moving almost like they were keeping time with the water. birds were everywhere, and not just one or two familiar faces. all kinds were wandering along the shoreline and flying overhead, while out on the lake, boats of all shapes and sizes drifted by, adding little moving pieces to the scene. and then there were those tall pink structures hovering over white muskoka chairs, like oversized umbrellas. there was something wonderfully toronto about sitting beside lake ontario while boats moved across the horizon and the city quietly carried on behind me. and with a name like sugar beach, i have to admit, i was kinda hoping for something a little sweeter. perhaps a street lined with bakeries, mochi donuts, gelato shops and enough desserts to put me into a full blown sugar high. sadly, no dessert district materialized. business opportunity? perhaps. still, sugar beach doesn't really need much else. it's clean, peaceful, scenic and a lovely little escape from the bustle of downtown. sometimes the best detours are the ones that give you nowhere particular to be for a few minutes.

So the walk up to the beach was amazing - the lined up trees and the sunset were absolutely…read morebeautiful. But the actual sugar beach was a little bit of a let down since it's just a little area with sand and some umbrellas like a fake beach. I don't really know what I was expecting but it was kind of comedic when we got to it at the end of the walkway.

This beach is pretty awesome if you want to get in some sun and have some space for activities on…read morethe beach. The beach is really long and has a lot of space. There's sand, there's grass and there's a few pavilions nearby that serve food. When the time is right the beach can look crowded but is never too crowded with the length of this place. I love coming here to play some beach volleyball. If you're ever short people you can always find some people wanting to jump in for a game. We've found some pretty awesome, friendly and somewhat decent players sitting along the beach looking for a game to jump into. Everyone's pretty respectful when they jump into a game trying to determine what they shouldn't do. I've never gone swimming in the water but then again I wouldn't really going swimming in either of the lakes in the Niagara region. If you're looking to play some soccer or football you can spread out around the beach and you're guaranteed space. There are a lot of families around so be on some decent behavior. Now to some of the bad in the area. I've never had to park here but it looks like it could be a nightmare. If you don't absolutely have to park here I sure park here, otherwise you might want to park elsewhere as trying to get in and out of here can be a pain. I was dropped off on numerous occasions on a busy summer and it looked like rush hour traffic trying to get out. Depending on the breeze the area stinks but I guess that's what happens when you're close to the sewage plant. I haven't tried any of the restaurants nearby but you should definitely stock up on supplies and sunscreen if you plan an afternoon here. I'll be back for another game of pickup soon! PS - To some of you guys, the speedo was never a good look :)

This review is for the restaurant, Boardwalk Pub…read more We came here because it was recommended to us by our hotel concierge since we wanted to see what Canadian "beaches" had to offer. We entered through the front doors facing the parking lot which was misleading because it looked like a poorly kept McDonald's. We made our way towards the Pub itself and were seated right away outside on the patio. They were undergoing some construction (as the rest of Toronto City) and had to sit through some noise and dust. The owner/manager apologized for it though. What he SHOULD have apologized for was the waiter's SLOW SLOW SLOW service!!! it was around 2 p.m. when we arrived and there were some people there just lounging around and hanging out. We didn't expect lightening fast service since we too were hanging out, but it became unreasonable when we had to wait about 15 minutes for our beverages (including water) and then had to wait another 45 minutes for our food to arrive! Our waiter paid more attention to his buddy patrons than us and took him extra long to finally get our check to us. The food was pretty good. the nachos are presented on a flat baking sheet (which is a little off putting to the eye, but completely functional for toppings). The pizza was good and our friend who had the halibut sandwich also said that was good. The location is great and the patio is the perfect atmosphere on a lazy weekend. I just wish the service was better.

I grew up in the Beaches. I already have an issue with the name of this listing well before I begin…read moremy review. The Beaches is what I'll always call my old neighbourhood. I grew up here until I graduated from high school and moved to Markham for my first stint of two. I have always known the Beaches to have more than one beach. This listing narrows it down to the area between Silver Birch and Lee Avenues. In this span, there are two beaches: Kew and Balmy. You still see these references scattered around the area. I went to Kew Beach Junior Public School. I walked past Balmy Beach Community School that was close to my high school. Balmy Beach Canoe Club has been there for at least a century. The name change to the Beach is still controversial. Sure, hyphenate Kew and Balmy, and you get a single beach. Um, no. For those who decided to focus on this ridiculous nonsense, how about focusing on something far more meaningful in the Beaches, like trying to solve the high volume of car accidents at Woodbine and Queen? How about dealing with the empty stores, including Ends, that used to be Tony's Variety, which still stands vacant after nearly two decades? I'm done letting off some steam. Now, back to business. I grew up a five-minute walk from the boardwalk and Lake Ontario. I grew up playing with the sand with my littlenpail and shovel set. I have walked countless times along the boardwalk. I did so to see the Victoria Day fireworks from the foot of Leuty Avenue (best view). I still remember walking with my friends as teenagers one summer and annoying people by blasting Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" from my dinky Radio Shack pocket radio. I was recently back in my old neighbourhood. I took a chance to see if I could find a parking spot at around 4 pm on a warm Saturday. I ended up parking on Silver Birch Avenue. It's east of where I lived, but I wanted a change of pace. IYou can get away with street parking during the day. It does get busy, though. At night, you do need a parking permit to avoid a fine. I grew up seeing my dad renew and stick a new parking permit on his windshield. I also was forced to parallel-park the family car, which has served me well as an adult. Coming down to admire the sand, water, and boardwalk feels like home. There was a bench with a dedication plaque that I sat on, taking in the sun and breeze. I was sucking back a shake, and watching people cycle, walk, and jog along the path parallel to the boardwalk. Over the years, the boardwalk has gone through some restorative improvements. The wooden boards are in much better shape with no sign of rotting or feeling like you're about to fall through the cracks. Yay! It's a well-established neighbourhood. You get to enjoy the tall trees that have been there for decades and admiring how beautiful the surroundings are. It does look nicer these days. There are more receptacles for garbage and recycling. The Leuty Lifesaving Station, affectionately known as the Leuty, still endures. The water fountains have been upgraded. It's a cheerful, inviting place to hang out. It was nice soaking up everything while I was there. I managed to see an ice cream truck. The cheesy music signalling its arrival still reminds me of growing up here and wanting a treat. Some things never change. I should visit more often. I am glad that I did a couple of Saturdays ago. (179)

I loved this beach! Sand was nice and soft too!…read more I can't believe I haven't discovered this beach before, but I will definitely visit again!

Beautiful islands, easily reachable by ferry from downtown Toronto…read more I love coming here by the earliest ferry when the weather is nice, and leaving before the crowds hit around 10-11am. Early morning, it's quiet and peaceful and all the birds are out singing. The beaches are also empty at that time, giving you plenty of breathing room to just sit and admire the beautiful waves and water. You could dip your toes too, but Lake Ontario is not that warm, heh. The sand dunes have eroded in recent months due to high water levels, but conservation efforts are taking place. And I know cormorants get a lot of hate, but they are magnificent birds. Watching them fish, and take off from the water is quite a sight. Please don't let this gem be ruined by the province's plan for a bigger airport. Protect our nature, appreciate it while we can, and leave it for future generations...

A must visit during the summer. Ferry is affordable. Amazing view. Plenty of activities. Beach is…read moreamazing. Something for everyone. I strongly recommend renting one of those Quad bikes.

A beautiful beach where I 100% want to gatekeep lol. It is a very well maintained beach with soft…read moreand clean sand, and shallow waters. I love that it is not too busy on weekday :) There are life guards on duty, ice cream truck on site, and plentiful parking within walking distance!

My dear friend and I decided to meet for our birthdays (belated for her and early for me) on…read moreSaturday at a patio in Oshawa. Afterwards, we wanted a place to open up our gifts and hang out some more. What do two people who grew up in the Beaches go? We hit the closest beach, which was Lakeview Park Beach. This beach doesn't take long to get to. It's basically off highway 401 and straight south for a few minutes. It has a large park, a lovely beach, and is next door to Oshawa Museum. There are a few parking lots here. We went into the farthest one and had no problem nabbing a couple of spots. Parking is free. My car straddled a speed bump. It was a first for me! It was fairly busy when we got there before 6 pm. We managed to find a cute area with wooden benches. There were folks taking professional photos, kids going into the water for a swim, and more. We opened up our presents with a sandy beach with ripples in the water as our backdrop. Pretty good! I felt relaxed and happy, as I typically am at a beach, but even more with a good friend. We chatted and watched more kids go into the water to swim. There is some sort of incineration facility by the pier. It's not exactly horrific, but it did look odd at a beach. At around 6:30 pm, a woman on a megaphone indicated that there was no lifeguard on duty. We still saw kids go into the water. The pier has a lighthouse. It looked cute. We didn't walk down there, but we want to when we're not hauling gifts. The splash pad is amazing. It looks new. There's a huge, clear container that slowly tips thanks to gravity, dumps the water out, hits a large plate, and water splashes on everyone around it. It was so fun to watch that we both stood there watching the whole thing a few times, vowing to return one evening at 10 pm to partake in this fun. Adult splash pad? Yes, please! We walked along the cement path for a bit to check out everything. The path is no boardwalk, but it was pleasant and sure beats walking on sand for the entire duration. We both didn't know that this park existed until my friend did a search. The trees have huge trunks diameter-wise, so they've been around and it was lovely see see them. I am grateful for the find. It was lovely chatting in-person with her after a year of physically distancing ourselves during a pandemic. Miracles happen and yesterday felt like one at this wonderful gem of a beach. (253)

Great place for a picnic. Relatively less explode and so not that busy. We went on a Monday of a…read morelong weekend and there were very few people on the beach. There aren't any equipment or any apparatus on the beach itself, so you can just lay the carpet And relax. There are kayak rentals at some distance. There are public restrooms just as you enter the beach from the parking. The parking is free and there are decent number of spots, so there are a good chance that you will find one. Definitely recommend.

Located downtown, this mid sized beach is a great place to drop by if you're in need for some sand…read moreand water. It does get quite busy on the weekends so go early to snag both a parking spot and a spot on the beach. If you can, transit may be a better option. Enjoy the sand and water!

just a nice place to relax. when the lake doesn't smell terrible its a great place to come and…read moremellow out, watch people work out, or watch the traffic slowly crawl by. bring some food and a blanket and just watch the day waste away, in the summer time a couple of snack shops are open, ice cream and pizza pizza. the beach is a great place to catch a tan, or trees if you want to catch some shade, I would NOT recommend swimming in the lake under any circumstance. lots of parking but you have to pay for it, transit options is the 501 streetcar with a bit of walking, and lots of room even in the busiest of months. the bathrooms are sometimes in a poor state, and sometimes not open. a great place to spend the day at, ultimate relaxation. sunrise's and sunset's are absolutely gorgeous here, bring a camera to catch the views and colors.

The Sunnyside beach is absolutely beautiful. I love the wooden boardwalk. A great place to spend an…read moreafternoon. Check out this video that featured this beach: https://youtu.be/ZA6FItYEF9s

Beautiful lakeside park with great views of the bluffs. Free parking weekdays during the day…read more Great spot for a picnic and popular as a boat launch area

Nature. Berries. Bluffs. Beach…read more It was a lovely saunter... I had a chance to take it all in and recall what it was like when I was but a wee me. Next time, I'll pack a picnic.