Vancouver condo buildings · Updated September 13, 2026
Beach Towers
1600 Beach Ave, Vancouver · Also known as 1600 Beach Avenue, 1651 Harwood Street
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Beach Towers is a four-tower, 601-suite rental complex on English Bay built between 1965 and 1968, one of the West End's best-known apartment addresses. Unlike the condos in this guide it is purpose-built rental. Tenants rate it 4.4 out of 5 on Google from 254 reviews, and helpful staff is mentioned in 89 of them; the trade-off is older, small suites.
- Address
- 1600 Beach Ave, Vancouver
- Neighbourhood
- West End
- Completed
- 1965–1968
- Storeys
- 19 to 21
- Suites
- 601
- Towers
- 4
- Developer
- Rental complex managed by Devonshire Properties
- Transit
- Bus routes 23, 5 and 6 stop within about 200 m; the nearest SkyTrain station is 1.6 km away
About Beach Towers
The four towers, 19 to 21 storeys each, sit across Beach Avenue from English Bay beach, a few minutes' walk from Stanley Park and Denman Street. A plan to add new rental buildings on the site was shelved in 2015, and the property sold in 2020.
On-site amenities include a pool, gym, hot tub and sauna, and a rental office. Suites have been renovated over time, but the buildings themselves date from the 1960s.
The complex is rental, not condo; it is included because it is one of Vancouver's most searched apartment buildings. City of Vancouver rezoning documents from 2013 count 601 units; CBC reported 607 in 2015.
Where Beach Towers is
Beach Towers is at 1600 Beach Ave in West End. Bus routes 23, 5 and 6 stop within about 200 m; the nearest SkyTrain station is 1.6 km away.
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Looking at other options in the area? See real estate agents serving Downtown Vancouver or the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
Beach Towers building amenities
- Swimming pool
- Gym
- Hot tub
- Sauna
- On-site rental office
Google review topics and rental listings.
Beach Towers reviews: the Google rating
Google reviews are the largest public sample of resident opinion for most condo buildings. The breakdown matters more than the average: a building with as many one-star as five-star reviews is a very different place from one with a steady spread of fours.
4.4
★★★★★254 Google reviews
- 5 star200
- 4 star10
- 3 star8
- 2 star7
- 1 star29
What reviews mention most
- Helpful staff · 89
- View · 35
- Accommodating staff · 32
- Friendly neighbours · 10
- Rental office · 7
- Hot tub · 6
- Sauna · 6
- Proximity to beach · 4
Google Maps listing, as of September 13, 2026. Topics are the themes Google identifies in reviews, with the number of reviews mentioning each. Read the reviews on Google Maps
What residents praise
- Helpful, accommodating management and staff
- Views and a location right on the beach
- Pool, hot tub and sauna
What residents complain about
- Small suites
- Dated hallways and buildings
What people say about Beach Towers on Reddit and forums
A summary of the threads that come up when people search for this building. Reddit skews toward people with a problem or a question, so weigh it alongside the Google breakdown above.
The overall picture
Reddit mostly recommends Beach Towers for its location and management, especially to newcomers on a budget. The one consistent downside is that suites are small and the buildings show their age.
Location and management
PositiveA 2026 commenter with friends there over the years calls it well managed, with a great location right on the beach.
Suite size and age
MixedThe same commenter calls the units small but well designed, while a 2020 viewer found them tiny, with ancient hallways.
Value
PositiveIn a 2020 thread about renting a one-bedroom for $2,000 a month, Beach Towers is suggested as an option.
The threads behind this summary
- Advice seeking for 1st time rentee in Vancouver
r/vancouverhousing · 2026 · 10+ comments
Positive“I've had a number of friends in beach towers over the years. The units are small but well designed. Great location right on the beach.”
- First and Last Month Free - that's not usual
r/vancouver · 2020 · 20+ comments
Negative“Viewed them, miniscule in size and building/hallways are ancient. Not a good experience.”
- If you had a 2k/month budget, where would you rent a 1br?
r/vancouver · 2020 · 10+ comments
Positive“I know a few places around me that are renting, checkout Beach Towers, Surfside, Lincoln House.”
Summaries are our reading of the linked threads and review pages. Excerpts are quoted verbatim from each thread’s public snippet, including spelling; open the thread for full context. Dates are approximate.
What's near Beach Towers: transit, restaurants and parks
SkyTrain stations, bus stops, and the most-reviewed places within about a kilometre of 1600 Beach Ave. Use the filters to show only what you care about, and select a marker for photos, details and walking directions.
Transit stop locations are from TransLink schedule data. Place locations come from Google Maps listings and are rounded to about 100 m, so a marker can sit a little off the actual entrance.
Transit near Beach Towers
The closest SkyTrain station to Beach Towers is Burrard Station on Expo Line, about a 25-minute walk (1610 m). Bus routes 23, 6 and 5 stop within 500 m.
SkyTrain stations
- E
Burrard Station
Expo Line
25 min · 1610 m - C
Vancouver City Centre Station
Canada Line
27 min · 1730 m - C
Yaletown-Roundhouse Station
Canada Line
29 min · 1840 m
Bus routes within 500 m
- 23PacificNearest stop: Eastbound Beach Ave @ Bidwell St1 min · 80 m
- 6DavieNearest stop: Eastbound Davie St @ Denman St3 min · 210 m
- 5RobsonNearest stop: Eastbound Davie St @ Denman St3 min · 210 m
Stations and routes from TransLink’s official schedule data (TransLink GTFS static schedule data, published September 11, 2026). Overnight routes are not shown. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. View the dataset
Restaurants, parks and things to do near Beach Towers
Restaurants near Beach Towers
- No free photo available4 min walk
Vonns | Smash Burgers | Philly Cheesesteak | Hot Chicken | Birria Tacos
Restaurant
★★★★★4.6 (2,340)
1184 Denman St #104 · 240 m
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub
Microbrewery
★★★★★4.3 (3,411)
8901 Stanley Park Dr · 850 m
- No free photo available14 min walk
Cora Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast restaurant
★★★★★4.4 (3,383)
1368 Robson St · 920 m
Cafés and bakeries near Beach Towers
- No free photo available3 min walk
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available8 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
Grocery stores near Beach Towers
- No free photo available3 min walk
- No free photo available8 min walk
Brandon & Joanny's NOFRILLS Vancouver
Grocery store
★★★★★4.2 (2,013)
1030 Denman St #101 · 530 m
- No free photo available10 min walk
Davie Street Your Independent Grocer Vancouver
Grocery store
★★★★★3.9 (2,793)
1255 Davie St · 650 m
- No free photo available13 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
Mi Tierra Latina Store Robson
Mexican grocery store
★★★★★4.9 (156)
1757 Robson St · 840 m
Parks and green space near Beach Towers
- No free photo available1 min walk
- No free photo available2 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
- No free photo available12 min walk
Things to do near Beach Towers
3 min walk
5 min walkA-maze-ing Laughter
Tourist attraction
★★★★★4.6 (1,010)
Morton Park, 1800 Morton Ave · 350 m
13 min walkPhoto: Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0
14 min walkPhoto: Xicotencatl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- No free photo available14 min walk
- No free photo available15 min walk
Stanley Bike Rentals
Bicycle rental service
★★★★★4.9 (1,482)
786 Denman St · 930 m
Places and ratings from Google Maps listings, retrieved September 13, 2026. Restaurants and cafés are limited to places rated 4.3 or higher, and every category is filtered to listings with enough reviews to be meaningful. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. Businesses open, close and move, so check before you go.
Who Beach Towers suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit for
Renters who want to live across the street from the beach, near Stanley Park and Denman Street, in a professionally managed building with long-serving staff.
Look elsewhere if you are
You need a large, modern suite or quick SkyTrain access; the nearest station is a 25-minute walk.
Before you buy in any strata building, ask for the Form B information certificate, two years of strata council minutes and the depreciation report; together they show the strata’s finances, special levies and upcoming repairs. Use the condo fee calculator to check monthly costs and the property transfer tax calculator for closing.
Beach Towers FAQ
When were Beach Towers built?
The four Beach Towers were completed between 1965 and 1968, according to a 2020 Daily Hive report on the property's sale.
Can you buy a condo at Beach Towers?
No. Beach Towers is a purpose-built rental complex of about 601 apartments, so suites are leased rather than sold.
What do tenants say about Beach Towers?
Tenants rate it 4.4 out of 5 on Google from 254 reviews, with 200 five-star ratings. Helpful staff comes up in 89 reviews and views in 35. On Reddit, people praise the location and management, while one commenter found the suites small and the hallways dated.
What SkyTrain station is closest to Beach Towers?
The closest SkyTrain station to Beach Towers is Burrard Station on Expo Line, about a 25-minute walk (1610 m). Bus routes 23, 6 and 5 stop within 500 m.
What grocery stores are near Beach Towers?
The closest well-reviewed grocery stores are Safeway Davie Street at 1611 Davie St (3 min walk), Brandon & Joanny's NOFRILLS Vancouver at 1030 Denman St #101 (8 min walk) and Davie Street Your Independent Grocer Vancouver at 1255 Davie St (10 min walk).
Condo buildings near Beach Towers
West End · 1.1 km away
The Butterfly
Completed 2024 · 57 storeys
★★★★★ 4.0 from 75 Google reviews
Downtown South · 1.1 km away
One Burrard Place
Completed 2021 · 54 storeys
★★★★★ 3.7 from 57 Google reviews
Coal Harbour · 1.2 km away
West Pender Place
Completed 2011 · 36 storeys
★★★★★ 4.4 from 7 Google reviews
Downtown · 1.3 km away
Living Shangri-La
Completed 2008 · 61 storeys
No Google rating
Next steps for Beach Towers
- Tell us the city and we match you with an agent who already works West End.
- Browse agents serving Downtown Vancouver.
- Estimate monthly costs with the condo fee calculator and closing with the property transfer tax calculator.
- Still choosing an area? Start with the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
Sources
- Beach Towers (official site)
- Daily Hive: Vancouver West End's four Beach Towers sold (April 2020)
- City of Vancouver: Rezoning of 1600 Beach Ave and 1651 Harwood St (2013)
- CBC: Beach Towers expansion shelved (June 2015)
- Google Maps listing (snapshot September 13, 2026)
- TransLink GTFS static schedule data
- 3 Reddit threads and review pages, linked above
Researched September 13, 2026. Ratings and resident opinion change; check the linked sources for the latest before making a decision.