The Vibe
If you haven't heard of Gavin Brown by now, you've been living under a rock. The British bloke, who originally worked with pioneer Chelsea dealer Matthew Marks, has enjoyed phenomenal buzz ever since a big New York Times article on struggling young dealers in September of 1994. You wouldn't guess it from all the hype, but compared to some of its Chelsea neighbors, Gavin Brown's has a refreshing lack of pretense.
The Draw
The gallery has managed to stay on the cutting edge, perhaps in part because of the success of Passerby, the adjoining artist-hipster bar, but also due to a solid roster of young British and American artists: YBA star Chris Ofili, dreamy painter Elizabeth Peyton and the ubiquitous Rob Pruitt, among others.