Townhouses For Sale in Long Branch, Etobicoke

A summer resort that became a lakeshore village

Part of a 1797 land grant was developed as a summer resort in the late 1880s and named Long Branch Park, after the resort town in New Jersey. A post office opened in 1891, and the village was incorporated around 1930, renumbering its streets in 1931 to line up with New Toronto's grid. It joined Metro Toronto in 1953, merged into Etobicoke in 1967 and became part of the City of Toronto in 1998.

The resort origins still show. Lots are narrow on many streets, the lake is close, and most of the shoreline is private apart from Long Branch Park and Marie Curtis Park. Etobicoke Creek forms the western edge, with Mississauga on the other side.

Long Branch GO and the end of the 501

The Long Branch GO station on the Lakeshore West line sits beside the Long Branch Loop, which opened in 1967. The 501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore streetcars end there, so residents have both a commuter train and a direct streetcar to downtown from the same spot.

Driving is a different story. Long Branch has no major north-south roads of its own, so drivers use Kipling Avenue or Brown's Line, both just outside the neighbourhood, to reach the Gardiner, QEW and 427. For townhouse buyers who commute by GO, it's one of the better-connected corners of Etobicoke. For those who drive daily, factor in the time to get to a highway.

Infill townhouses on a detached-house grid

Single-family detached houses make up most of Long Branch, with a low-rise commercial strip along Lake Shore Boulevard West. Townhouses have arrived mainly as infill: small freehold rows replacing a house or two, and condo townhouse projects on former commercial and industrial sites near Lake Shore. Industry has moved out since the late 1980s, and redevelopment along Lake Shore for higher-density housing has been controversial locally.

That mix means buyers here often compare a newer townhouse against an older detached house on a similar street. Newer towns usually have open layouts and less maintenance; older houses have yards and land. Check whether a townhouse is freehold, a POTL or a condo, and whether it comes with parking or relies on the street.

Hurricane Hazel and the Marie Curtis floodplain

In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel flooded the mouth of Etobicoke Creek, destroying more than forty homes and killing several residents. After the storm, the floodplain was cleared and turned into parkland, named Marie Curtis Park in 1959. The creek was straightened to run directly into the lake, and Marie Curtis Beach now sits on the old sand bar.

For buyers today, the lesson is to check the specific property. Units near the creek or the lake may fall within regulated areas. Ask about basement water history, grading and any sump or backwater valve work.

Who tends to choose Long Branch

GO commuters heading downtown or west toward Mississauga and Oakville often like Long Branch for the station. Families drawn to the lake and the parks look for towns with a yard or a nearby park. Downsizers sometimes leave a larger house nearby for a newer town with less upkeep. The common thread is accepting a longer drive to the highways in exchange for the lake and the train.

Because supply is thin, it helps to watch the area for a while before you need to buy.