New Hope Moves Up In USA Today Contest, Now 2nd Out Of 20

New Hope is moving up in a nationwide competition launched by USA Today for the best small town in the Northeast.

On Tuesday, New Hope was fifth out of 20 finalists. As of Wednesday morning, our beloved river town has moved into second place.

You can vote for New Hope once per day until polls close on Monday, April 24 at noon. Click here to vote.

The best small town in the Northeast is part of USA Today's 10 Best contest series, which explores the top destinations in various travel and leisure related categories.

Here's how the news organization describes New Hope.

A short drive from Philadelphia sits the town of New Hope, connected by a footbridge to the town of Lambertville on the other side of the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border. This town on the Delaware River is known for its antiques dealers, art galleries and restaurants. The towpath along the Delaware Canal makes for pleasant stroll or bike ride through the Bucks County scenery.

New Hope has some stiff competition. Rival small towns vying for recognition include Bar Harbor, Maine, Cape May, N.J. and Block Island, R.I. (You can check out the full list of finalists here.)

USA Today selected the finalists by asking a panel of experts to nominate their favorite Northeastern small towns. An editorial team narrowed it down to the 20 nominees.

"We tried to keep our selections diverse, with towns in each of the states in the region. These 20 small towns are each travel-worthy for their beauty, culture, shopping, dining, entertainment and lodging options," USA Today said.

Here's how USA Today introduces the contest:

When you think of a quintessential American small town, the charming hamlets of New England likely come to mind. The Northeastern United States – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont – are brimming with travel-worthy small towns.

PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons by Djmaschek