Tuesday inside the Leader Publications newsroom, Niles reporter Beau Brockett and I tried to create a list of all the new businesses coming to Niles before the end of the year.

As our conversation went on, the list Beau was writing began to become long and tedious as we tossed out the names of every upcoming storefront we could think of, including but not limited to Apothica Teas, Niles Brewing Company, Trap House Gym and Oddiophiles.

Just when we thought we had every business on the horizons written down, I had to throw in another.

“There is a new dollar store to open on Old US 31 and Winn Road, don’t forget that one,” I said as Beau dutifully added it to his list.

While our long list means poor Beau will be very busy over the next few months covering business openings and interviewing owners, it means great things for Niles — and I couldn’t be more excited.

In addition to all of these upcoming businesses, we’ve already seen the opening of several other new companies recently, including Gabrizio Italian Café and Bakery just this week (it’s great, go check it out!).

In my opinion, new business is good business. In addition to the typical big-picture things that these new businesses will add to Niles (increased tax revenue, jobs and a stimulated economy), they will also just add things to do in Niles, which will help attract people to the area.

I’m not going to lie to anyone, when I moved to Niles just over two years ago, I thought I had moved to the middle of nowhere. Having always lived in bigger cities, Niles just felt small. When my mom came down to help me move some things into the small room was renting at the time, she jokingly asked me where I would be parking my horse and buggy. Though it didn’t take long for Niles’ charm to win me over and for me to find some of the great long-standing spots in the area that made the city feel like home — shout out to the Brass Eye and Pizza Transit — Niles still felt small in those first few months. When my friends and family came to visit, they would want to drive up to South Bend or St. Joseph or Paw Paw rather than hang out in downtown Niles.

In my first six months here, someone said to me, “Niles is a town right around the corner of a comeback.” I wondered if I would see it happen. Now, I am. Niles is no longer on the verge of a comeback. It’s smack dab in the middle of one.

The growth I have seen in Niles over the last two years is incredible, and it’s been great to live here and watch the city become something big. There are now more options for date night, girls brunch, business meetings and everything in between. Now when my friends come to visit, they want to grab a coffee, explore the bookstore and snap a few selfies in the art-filled alley on Second Street before trying out a new restaurant like Iron Shoe Distillery or The Rage. It’s a place I can see 21-year-old me being excited about moving to.

I feel that Niles now has the business community to match its undoubted charm — and as evidenced by Beau’s list, it is only about to grow. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am excited to see the way this new swath of businesses changes Niles’ landscape once again.