What Makes Humber Bay Shores Great?
Humber Bay Shores is South Etobicoke’s “Riviera” a beautiful and charming waterfront district; full of seemingly happy people who call it home in Toronto. Despite the numerous tall condo buildings, there is a true community feel, almost like a small (but tall) village just outside Toronto; which is really just a 10-minute drive across the Gardiner Expressway to Downtown Toronto.
Property and Home Types
You’ll find condos, and more condos in Humber Bay Shores. Most are 1-bedroom units with 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units being more rare. New condos towers are still being built, after over a decade of construction, with the final few towers being planned for completion in the mid-2020s.
Just north of Lake Shore Blvd West features some condo building just a few years old, Beyond the Sea is recognizable for its sail-like trio of buildings. South Beach Condos and Westlake Village condos are further up Park Lawn Road.
For those looking top be even closer to the lake, Ocean Club (59 Annie Craig) is a great condo building with many owners living there who take pride in maintaining a good environment and community. Lago at the Waterfront (56 Annie Craig) has interesting architecture , and Riva Del Lago (110 Marine Parade) with its similar sounding name is also one of the newer buildings in the area.
Eau Du Soleil (20 and 30 Shore Breeze Drive) is the tallest two-tower complex, includes the tallest building in Canada located outside of a Downtown at 66 storeys; becoming a landmark building and changing the skyline of Humber Bay Shores and all of South Etobicoke.
Neighbourhood Specialties
Especially in warmer weather, people are out walking, running, bike riding, rollerblading, along the Humber Bay Park waterfront trails, strolling through the Humber Bay Park, or sitting in a cafe terrace or restaurant patio…All with a full view of Lake Ontario. The random fireworks that residents like to fire off at night is fun bonus.
Residents of all age groups live here, which means that all you need to do is walk down Marine Parade Drive (the neighbourhood’s main street) to soak it all in. Coffee shops, restaurants, are present, but it’s the trail, waterfront, park and lake that are the highlights. As more condo buildings get completed, and more street-level amenities are added there should be more reasons spend time in the area besides being close to nature.
Schools Nearby
- Étienne Brûlé Junior School (GR. JK-05)
- Park Lawn Junior Middle School (GR. JK-08)
- Lakeshore Collegiate Institute (GR. 09-12)
- The Etobicoke School of the Arts
Shopping, Dining and Entertainment
Sherway Gardens (10 mins drive), located just southwest of The Queensway/427, is the area’s major shopping destination and is surrounded by numerous big box stores. Some other major retailers, Canadian Tire, Costco with a gas station, Cineplex Cinemas, IKEA, and restaurants run along The Queensway too. Bloor Street West, and Lake Shore Boulevard have smaller shops for independent shops and restaurants. Local favourite like San Remo Bakery, Cactus Club Cafe and JOEY (both at Sherway Gardens), and Momiji Sushi on Bloor St. West are a short drive away.
Transportation
The tens of thousands of people who live here have limited public transportation options. The 66 bus on Park Lawn takes you up Old Mill metro station (nearest station). The 501 tram car on Lake Shore Blvd West takes about 45 minutes to downtown in ideal conditions, while driving a car in the same conditions is only 11 minutes (Gardiner Expressway is just a minute away)…It’s quite a difference.
The issue is that the people came first and transit planning and politics came later (or more like it’s still playing catch up). The proposed GO train station added at Park Lawn Rd. is the best future transit option to take residents to downtown Toronto, promising commuters to make the trip in just 15 minutes.
This relatively new area lacks affordable housing (generally it is less expensive than downtown Toronto condos), and unit size that makes it difficult for families to fit (mostly 1 bedroom units).
Future Outlook
There are still big plans for the area and that starts with the planned Park Lawn Go station that is part of First Capital’s master plan. Along with a potential commercial, retail, a market and park space along with more residential towers, it would bring a lot more diversity to the area, and less of a reason to travel outside the neighbourhood for day-to-day errands, work and entertainment.
If you want to learn more about this area, to invest or live here just email your questions to info@haushunt.com or send a message here and we’ll see how we can work together!
Trivia Time: You made it to the end! Here’s a little known trivia fact: Did you know that Keanu Reeves when he was younger went to the Etobicoke School of the Arts?