Owners Lia and Warren Raum live with their children in private quarters on the first floor, and a few assistants are generally available during the day. One of them eagerly carried my suitcase up the stairs to my room with a private bath on the third floor and patiently waited to answer my questions. With its high ceilings, fireplace, four-poster maple-sheaf-of-wheat bed covered by a quilt, and Victorian marble-topped dresser, my cozy room could easily have been in a country B&B. But as I peered out the lace-curtained windows to see elegant town houses facing me, I knew Manhattan awaited. I wasn't surprised, therefore (or pleased), to learn that little extras such as bottled water are not free. A phone in the room requires a quarter or a phone card, even to call downstairs; and use of the fireplace costs $35.

My small private bathroom lacked lotions and tissues, and was so tightly configured that there was no space for a towel rack. But what I really took issue with was the hot water. I had to let the faucet run a long time for water that was warm only briefly before turning cold. I had forgotten to bring my cell phone and lacked a quarter to call for help, so I walked down three flights to the office. An assistant cheerfully came up to investigate; then Lia Raum checked the boiler in the basement and made an adjustment. "Let the water run a long time," she told me, because the higher up you are, the longer you must wait. I was beginning to catch on (212-756-8823; 1871house.com; doubles, $245–$525).

For those travelers willing to venture somewhat off New York's beaten track, Brooklyn's Bed & Breakfast on the Park offers total immersion in Victoriana and a soothing atmosphere after a day touring Manhattan. The B&B is a $30 ride by car service into the city and three blocks to the nearest subway. Breakfast in the formal dining room is served at 9 A.M. (718-499-6115; bbnyc.com; doubles, $165–$375).

The historic Sugar Hill Harlem Inn "gives a real New York Harlem experience," said owner Jeremy Archer, who put solar panels on the roof and uses only environmentally friendly cleaners. The elegant residential neighborhood is a five-minute walk to the subway, where connections can be made to arrive in Midtown Manhattan in 20 minutes (212-234-5432; sugarhillharleminn.com; doubles, $150–$250).