The Praça da Independência is the central square of Ribeirão Preto and the natural gathering point of the city. The cathedral dominates one end, and the surrounding streets contain some of the better-preserved coffee-era architecture in the region — ornate façades and wide pavements that were meant to project prosperity. On weekday mornings the square is busy with office workers and street vendors; on Sundays it fills with churchgoers and families.
The square has been pedestrianised around its core, with benches under large trees and a modest fountain. Street food vendors appear in the evenings. The surrounding blocks contain cafes, banks, and the occasional good traditional restaurant. It is not a spectacular square by Brazilian standards, but it is a working, lived-in public space rather than a touristified one, and gives a good sense of how the city goes about its daily life.