Which would you choose: a ‘cottage’ in the city or a waterfront condo overlooking Lake Ontario?

With more opportunities to work remotely nowadays, given the choice, would you rather live near your office or take the opportunity to live on the water? Or both?
Our search this week takes us to an unusual “cottage-in-the-city” property in Scarborough and to a condominium near the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto.
THIS? A float home on the water in Scarborough’s Bluffer’s Park
Address: 7 Brimley Rd. S., #12
Price: $995,000; monthly moorage/maintenance fee, $928
Size: 1,406 square feet
Basics: Two plus one bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, two parking spaces
Extras: Gated community; home set atop floating concrete barge anchored to lake bed; 650-sq.-ft.-rooftop-deck; chef’s kitchen with stainless steel appliances; living room fireplace and sliding doors leading to a deck; marina offers snack bar, additional laundry/shower facilities, mailboxes and community garden
Location: On the water, with sandy beaches just metres away; opportunities to watch wildlife from your windows; short drive to schools and shopping; city centre 45 minutes away
Realtor: Paul Maranger, Sotheby’s International Realty, Canada, 416-960-9995
Quotable: “Isn’t it everyone’s dream to live on a boat?” says Maranger. “Who doesn’t sleep better? It’s like a vacation in the city every day. The lifestyle is beautiful, even in winter. Without the foliage, the Scarborough Bluffs look like the cliffs of Dover.”
THAT: A waterfront condo at the Pinnacle Centre, overlooking Lake Ontario
Address: 18 Harbour St., #3012, Toronto
Price: $895,000; monthly maintenance fee, $741.36
Size: 809 square feet, plus 47-sq.-ft. balcony
Basics: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one parking space and a storage locker
Extras: Corner suite; upgraded, galley-style kitchen, equipped with Bosch stainless steel appliances and a gas stove; open-concept living and dining area with electric fireplace and crown moulding. Residents have access to the 30,000-sq.-ft. Pinnacle Club featuring amenities spread across floors including a large indoor swimming pool, two whirlpools, a fitness facility, a half basketball court, a squash court, a sauna and an outdoor tennis court.
Place: A waterfront location with a transit score of 100 and a walk score of 97; a five-minute walk to Toronto’s baseball, basketball and hockey arenas and a 10-minute walk to Union Station; close to an array of shopping, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and cultural attractions; easy access to the Don Valley Pkwy. and Gardiner Expwy., as well as the ferry to the Toronto Islands.
Realtor: Karen Law, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty Inc., 416-686-1500, www.TorontoRealEstateSpecialists.com
Quotable: “The Pinnacle is an amazing complex,” says Law. “The four towers save a huge amenities floor that is more than just a fitness facility. 
“It’s also a corner suite with a private balcony and unobstructed views of both the lake and the downtown skyline.”