Property: The Low-Down

Transport: the Barbican is between Barbican and Moorgate stations, on the Circle, Metropolitan, and Hammersmith and City lines. Barbican station also serves ThamesLink, while Moorgate serves the line to Cambridge, Peterborough and the North-east. Numerous buses converge at Moorgate, with more slender pickings available on Goswell Road and City Wall.

Prices: from pounds 85,000-pounds 90,000 for a small studio to pounds 100,000 for a large one; pounds 140,000-pounds 180,000 for one-bedroom, pounds 180,000-pounds 220,000 for two bedrooms, and pounds 220,000-pounds 400,000 for three. Penthouses are seven-figure.

A Barbican rarity: Frank Harris is selling a five-bedroom leasehold house on Monkwell Square. It features an integral garage and 37-ft roof terrace, and is within a private square near City Wall. Barbican leases are for 125 years and have about 100 years to go.

Life guards: the Barbican has relatively high service charges (which vary from block to block), in part to pay for security guards who are largely responsible for the estate's virtually crime-free status. Golden Lane's recreation centre boasts a 20-metre indoor swimming-pool, two tennis courts and a badminton court "available for residents at preferential rates".

London House: approximately half of London House's 81 flats and penthouses are still available. In a tiered, irregularly shaped building, they either have no balcony, a small or large one, or a terrace; the roof terrace is open to all residents. A limited number of basement car-park spaces will be sold. pounds 239,950 for two bedrooms, pounds 373,950 for three.

Wining and dining: plenty of choice these days, within the Barbican and without, including Searcy's, Bleeding Heart, Cafe du Marche, Chez Gerard, East One, Maison Novelli and Stephen Bull's Bistro. For liquid refreshment, try Betjeman's, The Eagle, The Leopard, The Peasant, and Three Kings.

Eminent Jacobeans: the Royal Shakespeare Company acts up in the Barbican. Milton is buried in the oft-rebuilt St Giles-without-Cripplegate, where Oliver Cromwell was married and Holman Hunt was christened.

Council sans frontieres: the Corporation of London's holdings and operations extend beyond the Square Mile to include Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, several picturesque cemeteries, and council estates in Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets. Its Middlesex Street estate in the City is east of Liverpool Street Station.

Estate agents: Hamilton Brooks (0171-606 8000); Frank Harris (0171-600 7000); Hurford Salvi and Carr (0171-250 1012).