Soho

Soho is where the New York art scene really took off in the 80s and 90s, but the area quickly became a victim of its own success. Prince Street, Broadway and Spring Street still house a number of galleries, but the main scene has moved to West Chelsea. Galleries to check out include Deitch (2 locations, 76 Grand St & 18 Wooster St, website) and Martin Lawrence (457 W. Broadway, website)

Chelsea

The main area of concentration is on West 22^nd, West 24^th and West 25^th Streets between 10^th and 11^th Avenues. The big names here are Gagosian (website), Mary Boone (website), Perry Rubenstein (website) and Matthew Marks (website), though there are a few hundred galleries, most open to the public.

Chelsea has a handy website, which gives you a run down of what is showing, which gallery is where and when there are receptions where you can score some free wine.

Galleries are generally open Tues – Saturday from 10am – 6pm, though that can vary and it’s best to call ahead, especially if you’re visiting on Sunday.

Uptown

The Upper East Side has a number of galleries and the art deco Fuller Building (41 E. 57^th Street, corner of Madison Avenue) has long housed many prestigious galleries. The building has seen some major galleries leave over the years, but still has several good ones. Its galleries tend to be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am – 6pm.

Aficionados of design and architecture should visit Rizzoli at 31 West 57^th Street to peruse their fine book collection featuring hundreds of books cover these fields.