Utica, New York

I n the historic Mohawk Valley of upstate New York, midway between Buffalo and New York City, sits the welcoming community of Utica, whose building blocks are the bonds of diversity that shape its identity. Incorporated as a village in 1798, the name “Utica” was originally chosen from a collection of names placed in a hat. These days, however, the city is much more intentional in its direction, having pulled itself back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2012, and turned a corner thanks to some creative placemaking, new economic development opportunities, and strategic steps to revitalizing its downtown corridor. As a former textile-industrial town, Utica benefited hugely from the Erie Canal’s