We truly are very lucky to be in such a city that has that physical space we call the \u201cdowntown square\u201d which lends itself to easy gathering, the space for such events mentioned above, and ease of use. As you meander around the square you notice the historic Carnegie Library in the park itself along with the gazebo, both of which add such charm to the park itself. Surrounding the park are buildings that house restaurants, wine tasting rooms, boutique shops, and more.<\/p>\n
Almost all of these buildings have unique architecture that also lends itself to the vibe and overall feeling of the square. The earthquake in 2003 damaged many buildings and soon after a move to have them retrofitted also led to many of the building faces being redone. I believe that our downtown would not be what it is today without that earthquake. It forced the city and the people to make some much needed changes\u2026in my opinion.<\/p>\n
There are so many other little things that add to the downtown space\u2026like the lighting, the trees that fill the park, the different little flag signs the city puts up for different times of year like Christmas, the relatively new Ignace Paderewski statue in front of the Carnegie Library building, and the playground in the park. The Paso Robles Inn sits at the southwest corner of the park and adds another dynamic to the square with its brick tower and lengthy history.<\/p>\n
Annie and I have had the pleasure of enjoying the square for seven years now and seeing a lot of the upgrades happen before our eyes. We were fortunate to live a few blocks away from the square for a while too, which gave us the opportunity to go for walks and pop into downtown morning, noon, and night. The vibe each time of day is quite different yet always welcoming.<\/p>\n
I wonder if other people think the way I do or could ramble on about a downtown square and park. I wonder why I care so much. Maybe it\u2019s because I spent much of my life not experiencing those feelings of home, of place, of belonging.\u00a0 When I moved to the Paso Robles area right before that earthquake in 2003 it felt right here. Then, when Annie and I met and she moved here to Paso from Santa Maria we got to explore this area together.\u00a0 Now here we are raising our son in this place that we call home\u2026and we call it home not simply because we reside here, instead it\u2019s because it is actually a home for us and it all starts at the heart of it, the downtown square.<\/p>\n\n\n
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