Chelsea Galleries

More than 300 galleries line the blocks of Chelsea, from emerging shops under The High Line park to multi-floor blue-chip establishments that could be mistaken for museums—but this wasn’t always the case. The history of Chelsea as a gallery district began with the 1980s economic boom, which fueled New York’s art scene to unprecedented highs. More artists worked in the city than ever before, and scores of the newly-minted rich were eager to cash in on fine art. While economic prosperity vaulted the art industry to new levels, it also created a conundrum for the city’s trendy downtown galleries, many of whom were forced out of their storefronts in SoHo with ever-rising rents. They turned to Chelsea, revitalizing a gritty neighborhood known …