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The ambitious do-it-yourself quality of the art on view nicely complements Smack Mellon's raw 6,000-sq. ft. industrial space that was previously the neighborhood's boiler building. The non-profit enterprise, founded in 1995 by Kevin Vertrees and Andrea Reynosa then taken over in 2000 by Kathleen Gilrain, supports emerging and mid-career artists, especially women. To that end, Smack Mellon hosts a studio program that provides a stipend, workspace, and equipment to promising talent. Its exhibition program encourages emerging curators and artists to conceive often unconventional projects that transform the large unpolished gallery. In "No Condition is Permanent" (2001), art collective The Barnstormers covered the floor with linoleum which they painted continuously while recording the process from above. Whether it's performance-installations or high-tech art pieces, the site-specific work at Smack Mellon feels fresh, messy, and characterized by a kind of indulgent materiality that matches the space's crumbling beauty. — Lori Cole

This stunning, under-the-radar nonprofit art gallery sits in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. The 4,500 square feet of industrial loft space consists of 25 windows overlooking the East River, brick walls, dramatic ceilings that rise up to 35 feet, and massive industrial pillars. Average rates run from $3,000 to $4,000.