With the end of the summer underlined by chill winds and daily highs hovering around room temperature, the business of nightlife is readily anticipating the opening of some new businesses. Between now and the drop of the ball on New Year's Eve, a club space odyssey will change nightlife as we know it. Although it isn't raining money, there is enough of a drizzle to support new growth in a constantly evolving and extremely vibrant scene. These new contenders are diverse and seem organized to succeed. In no particular order, here are nine spaces that will soon be on your lips and minds.

I guess that in the world of kitchens, there can definitely be too many cooks. Although I thought I had it right (and maybe Eater did too), it seems that Franklin Becker's role at Delicatessen is squarely that of consultant, and Michael Ferraro is actually the man running the show. I ran into David Rabin, who tipped me off on the Delicatessen story, at a meeting yesterday. David didn’t want to stir the soup and thought it was no big deal but was appreciative that I was going to clarify today, so below I’ve included a letter directly from Franklin Becker, which explains the situation.

Delicatessen is finally going to upgrade its rap. This past summer, my hood Nolita embraced this highly stylized "cafeteria" (a.k.a. restaurant)-type eatery. A chatty neighborhood crowd came in droves to enjoy the newness and the open garage-door dining. It was, in fact, the perfect place to eat -- except maybe for the food. Alas, in that area, myself and many others were not impressed. With Gitane, Habana, 24, Ruby's, Bread, Barmarche, and a few others offering a trendy social atmosphere as well as great menus for the sharp Nolita set, the joint quickly lost its luster. The crowd became "shoppers,” a bit "too touristy," and the only time anyone mentioned Delicatessen was when it got too noisy.