Art in New York isn’t limited to the museums lining Fifth Avenue; in fact, the center of the art scene has since evolved from the streets of SoHo to its present day stronghold on the western side of Manhattan. In Chelsea, exquisite and rare art is housed in formerly abandoned warehouses, the majority of which are found between 10th and 11th avenues, and between 18th and 28th streets. The district is home to over 350 formal galleries as well as numerous artists’ studios.

Walking along cobblestoned streets on most evenings (most galleries are closed on Sundays and Mondays), one can see the up-and-coming art-collecting class, clad in their Christian Louboutin pumps, darting in and out of the pristine and modern buildings that feature a whole range of artistic enterprises, from photography to sculpture to traditional oil painting.

Standouts include the David Zwirner gallery, featuring edgy works by international artists, and the Matthew Marks gallery, which features not only emerging talents but also new collections from greats like Willem de Kooning. At any Chelsea art space, though, you can guess that limits will be tested, so it is best to expect the unexpected.