Many-windowed Apartment 3W in 644 Broadway, built around 1890 as the home of the Manhattan Savings Institute Bank, is our apartment of the day.

Historically, people will go to great lengths to get into 644 Broadway. In the late 1800s, it was the home of the Manhattan Savings Institution, and that bank’s vault held the riches of what was — even then — one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Manhattan. A gang of very charming thieves conned and cajoled their way into sabotaging the vault’s locking mechanism, enabling them to abscond with the equivalent of $65 million dollars one Sunday evening, making it the biggest bank robbery recorded up to that time.

These days, the riches are residential, making the treasure a bit harder to heist — though no less desirable.

Apartment 3W is the sun-filled safe-deposit box of refined NoHo living, an intelligently laid-out residence in one of Manhattan’s most highly rated loft buildings. Its 2,900 square feet wrap around the corner of the landmarked edifice, which has been proudly restored to preserve its a copper-clad tower, wrought-iron front entrance, and what is undeniably one of the most tastefully ornate 19th-Century buildings standing in the city.

The east side of Broadway, from Bleecker to Third Street, as it looked in 1899. Number 644 is at the far right. (NYPL)

Ever-so-slightly No of Ho, this stellar loft is smartly opened to offer big spaces for entertaining — as the commercial-grade kitchen at the end of the 50-foot living/dining area clearly intends — while the interior holds more intimate spaces to serve as additional bedrooms, or libraries, studies, or other special-use rooms. The master bedroom is richly paneled in cedar, and one wall of it opens onto a sunny private sitting room with views out over several other historic buildings. Two luxurious baths (one en suite of the master) as well as another half bath, a powder room, and a laundry room show that smart design can conquer any cramped feeling you’d fear in a (very) pre-war building.

The ceilings soar to 12 feet, and massive double-hung windows wrap around this corner unit. The hardwood floors are original, the wainscoting historic, and all utilities are thoroughly modern. The 15-unit co-op employs a part-time doorman, and the esteemed address is an easy stroll from some of downtown’s best restaurants, boutiques, and shops. Seven subway lines connect within a few blocks, but you’ll likely find yourself walking through this gracious historic neighborhood on your way to SoHo, Little Italy, the East Village, and Greenwich Village.

Represented by Corcoran agent Nastassja Balick Coppers, Apartment 3W is offered at $4,200,000.