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Go West, young art collector.” That seems to be the message in Chicago these days. After years of strolling down Michigan Avenue and gallery-hopping in the River North area, many art aficionados are heading west—to the West Loop neighborhood, which may soon have the largest concentration of galleries in the Windy City.

Once—and in some cases, still—home to meat-packing companies, the West Loop is filled with big, loft-like real estate, and, therefore real estate bargains. As in any city, that combination attracts the attention of both artists and dealers, who are always looking for more wall and floor space.

Late last year one of River North’s long-time art cornerstones, Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 West Washington Boulevard, moved from that nearby neighborhood known as the city’s art center to the West Loop. And this November River North’s ethnographic art specialist Douglas Dawson Gallery is moving to the former Klein Art Works space at 400 North Morgan Street. With a new addition, the space will total 8,000 square feet, plus an outdoor sculpture garden. “The West Loop has become an interesting dynamic in the art scene. That’s where we wanted to be,” says Dawson, who expects to close his current location at 222 West Huron Street in September.

Charles Belloc Lowndes agrees. His gallery, Belloc Lowndes Fine Art, which focuses on 20th-century American and British art, also moved from River North; in January, he reopened at 835 West Washington Boulevard. “[Art collectors] are coming down this way instead of River North,” he notes.

Don’t be mistaken, though: The West Loop isn’t just River North shifted west. These neighborhoods have their own vibe, and for years the West Loop’s galleries were self-funded experimental entities. That character remains, leaving many dealers to describe West Loop’s “energy” much like that of Chelsea in Manhattan. But far from being merely a bastion of experimental art, the West Loop now boasts strong modern and contemporary art galleries, dealers of antique works on paper, furniture makers and other custom artisans, as well as two auction houses and other design-minded shops.

“When I reopened the auction house, I chose the West Loop because I could get so much space for less money. But it is also easily accessible from I-90/94,” says Leslie Hindman, who last year reopened her auction and appraisal business, Leslie Hindman Inc., at 122 North Aberdeen Street.

To experience the energy these gallery owners feel, park your car and set out on foot to explore the West Loop. This summer, from July 9 to August 21, is as good a time as any as the Chicago Art Dealers Association hosts its ninth-annual VISION event, with exhibitions in West Loop and River North galleries organized around the theme of “Building Art.”

In the northwest corner of the neighborhood, start at Gallery 312, 312 North May Street, a non-profit, artist-run collective that emphasizes works by young Chicago artists.

Two blocks east is Linda Warren Gallery, 1052 West Fulton Market, a contemporary gallery opened last year. This summer’s three-artist show will feature sculptures and drawings from Carmen Gonzalez and paintings by Francesca Sundsten and Hollis Brown Thornton. The price range for these works is $500 to $6,000.