About Long Branch

Long Branch takes its name from the seaside summer resort area of Long Branch, New Jersey. It  was incorporated as a village in 1930 and became part of the City of Toronto in 1998.

The Long Branch neighbourhood offers unparalleled access to waterfront parkland and a host of other amenities. Colonel Samuel Smith Park, at the foot of Kipling Avenue, is a very large park which offers access to green space in the city as well as its famous outdoor skating rink, walking trails and the Lakeshore Yacht Club. Lots of birders come here to photograph migrations in the fall and you can see the monarch butterflies in the trees at the water's edge as they pause on their southern migration.

Marie Curtis Park, located next to Etobicoke Creek at the western end of Long Branch, is another very large park that has an excellent children's play area, a fenced off-leash area, and lots of cycling, running and walking trails. From the trail you can cycle safely to Port Credit, Clarkson, Oakville and, if adventurous, all the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

There are many fine shops & restaurants along Lake Shore Blvd., including:

• Several coffee shops, notably Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Higher Ground & Black Goat
• 850 Degrees Pizzeria - 2015 Diners Choice winner & featured on "You Gotta Eat Here"
• Woody's Burgers - featured in Toronto Life
• CakeStar Bakery - voted Top 10 Under the Radar Cupcake Shops & Top 10 Best Wedding Cakes

Public transit is convenient, with TTC streetcars and buses on Lake Shore Blvd., plus the Long Branch GO train station.

Other local amenities include:

• Branch Yoga - voted one of the top new Yoga studios in Toronto in 2015
• Ken Cox Community Centre, attached to Father John Redmond Catholic School next to Colonel Samuel Smith Park
• The Assembly Hall, a local cultural centre also next to Colonel Samuel Smith Park
• Birch Park and Long Branch Arena, located at the top of Crystal Crescent
• Toronto Public Library branch at Lake Shore & 32nd Street
• Len Ford & Long Branch Parks at the foot of Long Branch Avenue