I stumbled across a reference to Confluence Park in Binghamton, and I just had to take a look for myself. Calling it a park is a bit of an overstatement, but it is a rather nice area of benches and sidewalks where the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers meet. That's the Susquehanna on the left, the Chenango on the right. I was looking to the west when the picture was snapped.
Below is a shot from the water's edge, still looking to the west.
Binghamton is trying to take advantage of its rivers. I took the picture above while standing on the old Washington Street Bridge. It's now a way for walkers and bicyclists to cross the river.
And, it leads to this-- the Chenango River Promenade.
Below is a view of the Promenade from the other side. The walkway at the left of the picture takes you under the bridge, and to Confluence Park, which leads to the pedestrian bridge over the Susquehanna. At my back, when this picture was shot, is Binghamtown's downtown business district.
It may not be as elaborate and new as the River Common in Wilkes-Barre, but it's nice. There were several people walking, jogging, and biking when I was there early Monday morning.
It's not perfect. Even though I had a GPS and I researched the area via internet before I left, it was still tough to find for someone not totally familiar with the area.
While the closest street to the park, Riverside Drive, is nice, the surrounding neighborhood needs work. I wasn't in fear, but it was a shabby neighborhood, filled with abandoned buildings. On the other hand, Binghamton University has a new building just up the street, so it's possible this neighborhood is on the way up.
I needed a beverage and a pit stop, if you know what I mean. None were in sight.
We're lucky that we have rivers running through our area. It's time we start taking advantage of it.
