World-class art in New York

Art lovers and collectors should head to the enclave between 18th and 25th Streets and 10th and 11th Avenues, where hundreds of art galleries are crammed together, showcasing an eclectic mix of modern and contemporary art from wacky installations to chic photography.

Anyone from Andy Warhol or Basquiat to current prominent and emerging artists may feature, in a mix of the pointless and the memorably brilliant. You don’t have to buy – gallery-hopping browsers are welcome.

One of America’s pre-eminent small art museums with an enviable bequeathed collection of European paintings, sculpture and porcelain, including Bellini, Constable, Gainsborough, Degas, Rembrandt, and Whistler. Housed in the late steel magnate and art collector Henry Frick’s magnificent mansion.

One of the largest art museums in the world, this treasure house hoards more than two million artworks, artefacts and decorative arts spanning thousands of years of human civilisation.

It’s focus is historical and classical art – Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, Asian, Oceanic, Greek and Roman amongst others – as well as a fine collection of contemporary art that includes Picasso, Matisse, Miro, and Balthus.

The collections, all beautifully displayed, are so vast you would need a week to see them all.

Since its founding in 1929, MoMa – as it is affectionately known – has dedicated itself to being the foremost museum for contemporary art, namely late 19th- and 20th-century art.

The collection is presented chronologically, taking you on an artistic journey through Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Impressionism, and Pop Art, with more than a few masterpieces along the way. There are also galleries for photographers, drawings, film and even a sculpture garden.

It’s great for families too, with special kids audio guides on the website to the masterpieces and highlights.

New York’s Guggenheim is home to one of the world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art. Permanent collections include works by world-renowned artists such as Calder, Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee, Picasso, and van Gogh. Special exhibitions showcase important artists from the 19th century through the present.

The museum building, too, is a masterpiece. Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic, curvaceous design – completed in 1959 – is an architectural stunner, both outside and inside, where artworks are displayed on a walkway that spirals up in a great rotunda.

This specialist in 20th- and 21st-century contemporary American art is home to a vast collection of over 23,000 works by more than 3,000 artists, ranging from painting and sculpture to video and installation art. The museum has a particular focus on showcasing emerging artists and providing them with a platform to present their work to a wider audience. Featured artists too look for include Jackson Pollock, Keith Haring and Cindy Sherman.

In addition to its permanent collection, the Whitney also hosts temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and events that promote dialogue and critical thinking about art and society. Every two years holds the Whitney Biennial which showcases a huge range of new contemporary art, often from little-known artists.