With a vital concentration of artists, galleries, museums, and collectors, New York remains America’s art capital. Each year as spring comes to the Big Apple, so too do Gotham’s important contemporary art fairs, the Armory Show and the ADAA Art Show.  

GO
THE ARMORY SHOW
WHEN: March 8−11
WHERE: Piers 92 and 94
HIGHLIGHTS: Galleries from around the globe, including Lisson Gallery of London, Berlin’s Eigen + Art, and Massimo de Carlo from Milan, will be at the 14th edition of the Armory Show. The Focus section, now in its third year, features Nordic countries and showcases some 20 dealers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, curated by Jacob Fabricius. “I think the critically engaged work coming out of Scandinavia is a nice antidote to some of the more flat commercial work being produced these days,” says one of the fair’s managing directors, Noah Horowitz.
thearmoryshow.com

ADAA: THE ART SHOW
WHEN: March 7−11 
WHERE: Park Avenue Armory
HIGHLIGHTS: Returning for its 24th edition, this fair features 72 members of the Art Dealers Association of America, including names like Crown Point Press of San Francisco; Blum & Poe of Los Angeles; and locals P.P.O.W. and Marian Goodman Gallery. Fairgoers can peruse such curated installations as “Gaston Lachaise/Louise Bourgeois: An Affinity” from Cheim & Read, a Mary-Anne Martin Fine Art show titled “Surrealism in Latin America,” and “Optic/Kinetic” from Maxwell Davidson Gallery.
artdealers.org/artshow.html

STAY
HOTEL AMERICANO
Situated next to the High Line park, in Chelsea, Hôtel Americano is only steps away from a plethora of galleries. Because so much art fills the neighborhood, the guest room walls remain bare, but design and fashion elements — from Alessi Optic alarm clocks to Loden Dager denim bathrobes — are plentiful throughout the hotel. After a long day of fair- and gallery-going, guests can lounge by the rooftop pool, sip cocktails at Bar Americano, or simply order in bento boxes from room service.
518 WEST 27TH ST.
212-216-0000
RATES: From $325
hotel-americano.com 

MONDRIAN SOHO
Custom rose-vine carpets, crystal sconces, and large antique mirrors decorate the halls of this hotel; the “sleeping chambers” have floor-to-ceiling windows and vanities that double as wet bars. Don’t forget to check out the Sol LeWitt photo installation.
9 CROSBY ST.
212-389-1000
RATES: From $369
mondriansoho.com

ST. REGIS
Stay at this iconic New York landmark and live like Salvador Dalí, who spent his winters in suite 1610 during the 1950s and ’60s. Opt for the Tiffany Suite, which features 1,700 square feet of classic elegance, or the Dior Suite, which was designed almost entirely in the brand’s signature color, “whispering gray.”
2 EAST 55TH ST.
212-753-4500
RATES: From $895
stregisnewyork.com

EAT
AI FIORI
Critics have been praising chef Michael White’s latest venture, an Italian fine dining establishment located on the second floor of the Setai Fifth Avenue hotel. Try the agnolotti, stuffed with braised veal and butternut squash, covered in a black truffle sugo; or the maiale, Red Wattle pork loin accompanied by boudin noir, gnocchi, apple, and mustard.
400 FIFTH AVE.
212-613-8660
aifiorinyc.com

ABC KITCHEN
Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened this eatery, which the James Beard Foundation named the Best New Restaurant of 2011, with a commitment to using the freshest organic and local ingredients available (it’s located a few blocks from the Union Square Greenmarket). Start with the raw diver scallops, market grapes, and lemon verbena before savoring the roast suckling pig.
35 EAST 18TH ST.
212-475-5829
abckitchennyc.com

MA PECHE
The East Village chef-restaurateur David Chang went north to open this Midtown spot, which serves French-Vietnamese cuisine. Diners go for its famous set menu, Beef 7 Ways, which includes courses such as Wagyu beef with ginger, scallion, and radish and oxtail soup prepared with tamarind, mint, and cilantro. But don’t miss the lamb corn dog and trout on the à la carte menu.
15 WEST 56TH ST.
212-757-5878
momofuku.com

MISS LILY'S
Meant to evoke the feel of humble patty bakeries and take-out restaurants of New York's West Indian diaspora in Crown Heights and the Bronx, this stylish Serge Becker eatery serves up a tasty selection of classic Caribbean dishes like cod fish fritters, jerk chicken, and curry goat.
132 WEST HOUSTON ST.
NEW YORK
646-588-5375
misslilysnyc.com

SEE
THE FRICK COLLECTION
“Renoir, Impressionism, and Full-Length Painting,” on view through May 13, offers new insight into the revered French Impressionist. Inspired by the Frick Collection’s “La Promenade” of 1875−76, the exhibition brings together nine of the artist’s pieces highlighting Belle Époque beauty.
1 EAST 70TH ST.
212-288-0700
frick.org

WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART 
From March 1 through May 27, the venerable New York institution showcases the works of 51 artists in its multi-disciplinary art bonanza known as the Biennial. This year’s edition features the filmmakers Werner Herzog and Vincent Gallo, the experimental theater director and playwright Richard Maxwell, and the artists Kate Levant and Oscar Tuazon.
945 MADISON AVE.
212-570-3600
whitney.org

PACE
“Happenings, New York: 1958−1963” is the first exhibition dedicated to the “Happenings” movement from its birth in the late 1950s until its founders abandoned it in the early ’60s. The exhibition will showcase more than 30 Happenings, through photographs, film footage, and artworks by key figures like Simone Forti and Claes Oldenburg.
534 WEST 25TH ST.
212-929-7000
thepacegallery.com

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
Less than two weeks before John Chamberlain’s death last December, the Guggenheim announced the first comprehensive retrospective of the sculptor’s 60-year career. The 95-piece exhibition, “Choices,” runs through May 13.
1071 FIFTH AVE.
212-423-3500
guggenheim.org

SHOP
OHWOW BOOK CLUB
Obscure art books fill this shop, which features titles by Terence Koh, Rosson Crow, Aurel Schmidt, and José Parlá.
227 WAVERLY PL.
646-370-5847
oh-wow.com/book-club

CREATURES OF COMFORT
Along with its own line of women’s clothing, this Nolita store carries the up-and-coming label Suno, pieces by Nordic designer Henrik Vibskov, and Rick Owens apparel.
205 MULBERRY ST.
212-925-1005
creaturesofcomfort.us

TREASURE & BOND
This charity concept store hawks clothing, jewelry, housewares, and designer items from labels like Malin+Goetz, Bijules, and Vince.
350 WEST BROADWAY
646-669-9049
treasureandbond.com

Click on the photo gallery to see highlights from When in New York City... for the Armory Show and the ADAA Art Show.