A few years ago, I became reacquainted with The Beaches. It’s such a cute area with its own village of shops, unique homes, interesting restaurants, beautiful parks, and of course, the waterfront.

Since then, I have been showing off The Beaches to family and friends like it’s a brand new area. Of course, this area is far from new. Many houses can be traced back 100 years and Toronto Life Magazine ranked The Beaches in their number 8 spot for 2014’s Best Neighbourhoods.

One day I went to Tori’s Bakeshop with a friend and her two kids. We ordered a few organic and gluten-free treats before taking them to the beach  for a . Ipicnic. While we were there, we were watching some students from Balmy Beach Community School play beach volleyball in their gym class (how cool is that!) before heading to a playground. It was so nice to watch all the people out walking their dogs, rollerblading along the path, walking the boardwalk, lawn bowling, or simple lying on the beach on a beautiful spring day.

After the experience with my friend, I had to take my mom. We drove through the streets looking at the unique homes and marveling at their charm. We then went to Queen street where we discovered an athletic wear store called Titika (also at The Shops of Done Mills). Titika opened in 2009 and utilizes resources in their designs. I like stores that are ethically conscious and then I learned more about Titia that I liked. The sweatshirt I was trying on was designed by a student at OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design). Supporting local talent and designs was an added bonus!

A friend of mine grew up in The Beaches and always refers to it simply as “The Beach”. I feel like the right to refer to this area as The Beach is reserved for residents or those individuals who frequent it enough to be in the know. As I spend more time exploring The Beaches and discovering new parks, restaurants, and stores, I am confident that eventually I will feel comfortable referring to this neighbourhood as The Beach.