The Brooklynization of Uncle Steve continues as I find a better product, a better meal, a better conversation and all around better attitude there. I hit Union Pool yet again, and caught Dead Stars- a fabulous band. Cousins Jaye Moore on drums and Jeff Moore on guitar are legendary in Japan, so I'm told, from their previous band, Orange Park. Jon Watterberg plays bass. They were absolutely brilliant. You know a rock band is solid when you’re hearing their set for the first time and the songs catch you. Afterward we all hung outside by the wood burning fire pit and talked rock n' roll hootchie-coo. I am so tired of the jaded haters and wannabes who have taken over the Manhattan club scene that I retreat to Brooklyn constantly to hang out with homogeneous hipsters wearing variations of the same plaid. At least there’s good conversation and an unending supply of said hipsters. Everywhere I go there is a party. I bought a Diet Coke at Union Pool and they charged me a buck. The only thing you get for a buck in a Manhattan joint is a wrapped white mint from the bathroom attendant.

The ghosts of Christmas past drive me to self-analytical frenzy, that gets mixed in with the shopping and the holiday greetings whirlwind. Then there's the, "I love her, she loves me not, she loves me, I can't stand her 75 percent of the time” pantomime. That leads into who? what? where? New Year’s Eve desperation. With work and traffic, money runs and non-stop Christmas muzak, I think I'm starting to lose it. Gonna leave you to your thing and I’ll go do mine. Before I go, I’m going to give some clubs some uncle Steve advice: What "should" each club want for Christmas?

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.

The signs of the end of the great recession are everywhere. The other day, my mailwoman rang my bell because a magazine swelled with advertising couldn't get through my slot. A couple of months ago, three of them would have slid in. The cafes are busy, and the accents of tourists with their little maps fill my neighborhood streets. Stores are filled with shoppers gearing up for the inevitable autumn, and the sounds of saws and screw guns tell of new construction and refurbishing everywhere. You can feel it in the streets and hear it on those annoying taxi screens. We're moving forward again. Last night the lobby in the Waldorf was packed with families and businessmen who spent a little more and passed on the Hilton. I had a nice meal with my bestest friends. The $36 lamb chops didn't cause a groan or even a blink. We watched the Russian hookers in Prada and Louboutins meet men named John. Money is circulating, and everyone is trying to get some.