Sales to date have been divided between Beach residents looking for an end to lawncutting and professional people looking for a well-planned, spacious alternative to core-city living.

“This project is intended to be elegant but discreet, and fall nicely into the neighbourhood, ” Builder Charles Goldsmith says. The traditional brick, modern-Georgian building, designed by Architect Dharam Malik, has a graduated front facing Kingston Road, with lobby and underground parking entrance off the Lawlor Ave courtyard.
To make sure no dead space is created on Kingston Road, there are to be five retail spaces built in at street level. “I believed in that kind of development years before it became part of Toronto’s official plan, ” Mr. Goldsmith says.
Mr. Goldsmith is excited about other aspects of the site, such as its proximity to streetcars and the GO train (one stop to Union) and easy access to the Glen Stewart Ravine. “You can take that down to the Glen Manor Ravine and Queen Street, and you’ve just had the most beautiful nature walk and you’re right in the heart of the city.”
Mr Goldsmith views the Kingston Road site as ideal for those wishing to enjoy the beach. " People want to be a little bit removed from the tourists – a place where their guests can visit and easily find a parking spot.”
Aside from the location, location, and location, Mr. Goldsmith has taken care with the Beeches’ interior spaces. “I care about details a lot, ” he says, mentioning such features as Peachtree thermal windows and sliding doors, and Bruce hardwood flooring. The hardwood is to be laid over cork for soundproofing, which is further augmented by solid-core doors in bedrooms and bathrooms and Roxul-insulated walls.
Standard features include maple shaker kitchen cabinets, plaster crown mouldings and choice of pewter or brass levered door hardware. “The interiors, ” says Mr. Goldsmith, “are designed to be elegant but simple. If people have lived in a few houses, they’re our best customers because they’ve developed a sense of what is important in terms of practicality or long-term enjoyment.”
The budgeted monthly maintenance fees at the Beeches are 22 cents per sq foot per month, significantly less than its competition.
Mr. Goldsmith’s approach also appeals to first-time buyer Adrian Malcolm. Mr. Malcolm had looked at Yonge and Sheppard before deciding to buy a one-bedroom unit at The Beeches. He grew up, and now practises law, in east Scarborough. “I wanted to be out of the suburbs, but still close to work, and I knew the Beaches neighbourhood. and was delighted to find this development."
Having seen the area’s revitalization in recent years, he looks forward to living there, and prefers a smaller building, with fewer extras than some of the larger developments. “Sure, they have gyms and swimming pools, but you’ve got to pay for it. Not having those features keeps costs low, and they’ll stay low as time goes on.” As with others who have chosen to live in the Upper Beaches, Malcolm says, “I want to be able to get away from the congestion of Queen Street, and my guests will always have somewhere to park.”

AT A GLANCE

Site: The Beeches

Location: Kingston Road and Silver Birch Ave., (just west of Victoria Park)

Builder: Charles Goldsmith

Sq. Footage: 1025-1329

Price: $307.900 - $388, 900 including parking, hardwood and five appliances

Contact: Christopher Wilson 416-699-4440 or register: www.thebeeches.ca