property: The Low-Down

Transport: Compared to N15, N17 is "more car than tube," says Mr Dickman. Tottenham Hale is the only Underground station (Victoria Line, zone 3), and the rail stations are Bruce Grove, White Hart Lane, and Northumberland Park, into Liverpool Street. The North Circular provides access to the M1 and M11.

Prices: Flats cost pounds 45,000-pounds 70,000; two-bedroom terraces in Tower Gardens sell for about pounds 80,000. "We are now back to where prices were at their peak in the 1980s. I reckon prices will go up pretty much with the London average. N15 will do better," says Mr Dickman.

Properties: Some new second-hand Fairview homes occasionally come onto the market. Draper's Court (in previous lives, Highcross School, then Drapers College for Boys, then Tottenham High School for Girls) is a Metropolitan Home Ownership redevelopment of a listed building yielding 27 flats including split level dwellings with high ceilings and oversized gothic windows. Priority for the one, two, and three-bedroom units go to Haringey and north London residents. Half-shares cost pounds 25,125.

Missing link: According to a Council brochure, nearly half of Haringey's 216,000 population have an ethnic background: "Greek and Turkish Cypriot, African and Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi, Irish and Chinese. Recently, Kurdish and Somali refugees have settled in Haringey, too. The people of Haringey speak a total of 193 different languages." Little wonder, then, that Haringey has some half-dozen shops purveying bagels, including several on one small stretch of the High Road in N17.

Their spell-check has fleas: To the great British "bagel versus beigel" debate, a council brochure adds "biegel".

Lea versus Lee: Lea Valley Park to the north, Lee Valley Park to the east, and Alexandra Park Palace to the west offer facilities for football, golf, fishing, walking, boating, ice skating and, at the latter, beer- drinking with a panoramic view.

Houses to homes: Haringey Council has two empty-property officers who help with grants, repairs, insurance and finding tenants (0181-809 6000).

Council tax: Band D is pounds 898.

Estate agents: Cousins 0181-800 9688; Duncan Phillips 0181-808 4748; Metropolitan Home Ownership, 0181-829 8000.