Hear Ye! Upstate NY Town Has One of Nation’s Top Public Squares

The function of the town square has changed over the centuries, but even in 2023, it still serves as the central meeting place for the residents of a town. Events are held, meetings are conducted, and if nothing else, the public square is usually a nice spot to simply walk around.

There are towns across the country, however, that have truly spectacular town squares, that have either been preserved throughout history, or refurbished to have a more modern feel.

One Upstate New York town falls into that category, and is being recognized for a public square that ranks among the nation's best. Now, it's our job to take it to the top of the list!

Get our free mobile app

Upstate New York Town Recognized for Public Square Among Nation's Best

As reported in a story from New York Upstate, a town in Upstate New York is being hailed as having a public square worthy of national recognition. That honor belongs to Corning, New York, and its Centerway Square.

Centerway Square, and the other finalists, have been nominated by a panel of experts for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for the honor of 2023's Best Public Square in the United States.

Unlike some of the most historic town squares on the list, Centerway Square only dates back to 1989. During what was described as a revitalization of Corning, New York, the bricks were laid for a new central meeting place for the town, and the result was truly spectacular.

Centerway boasts incredible brick walkways, and a 50-foot clock tower, as well as a stage for live events, all of which you can see in this photo below.

Some of the other finalists on USA Today's reader's poll are Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, Vermont; Washington Square Park in New York City; Philadelphia's Dilworth Park; and Village Green in Bar Harbor, Maine among others.

Admittedly, I've only seen photos of Centerway Square, but from what I've seen, it appears to be a real crown jewel of the quintessential small town in Upstate New York. As someone who spent a great deal of time walking around my small town as a kid, having a spot of this caliber to congregate in the center of town is something that every kid deserves to have when growing up.

Luckily, kids in Corning, New York are getting that opportunity, and now, we can all go and vote for it to be the nation's best public square, according to USA Today. As of January 11th at 9:00PM, it's currently 1st on the leaderboard.

Go help Centerway Square take home the win!