Richmond named No. 1 best town to visit in the U.S. by CNN

CNN named Richmond the No. 1 best town to visit in the U.S. this year.

Why it matters: Our city is getting its much-deserved flowers.

The big picture: CNN travel editors scoured the nation in search of cities that offer a lot to do, " loads of personality " and that don't usually see a lot of tourism.

Richmond, of course, got the top spot for its:

• Museums.
• Neighborhoods (shoutout Jackson Ward).
• "Impressive arts" and culture scene (hey there, street art and Hamilton Glass ).
• Restaurants ( Lillie Pearl , The Mantu ) and breweries ( Väsen and The Veil ).
• Festival lineups (hello, Carytown Watermelon Festival).
• Memorialization of its role in slavery and as the former capital of the Confederacy.

How it works: CNN zeroed in on places with a population ranging from 50,000 to about 225,000 residents (Richmond's at roughly 226,000 ).

• It also took into account "communities committed to making their towns better," sense of identity and "wow" factor.

What they're saying: "Now's a great time for visitors to see for themselves how Virginia's capital city has evolved," CNN wrote.

Sabrina's thought bubble: And we've been saying that.

Karri Peifer 's thought bubble: Don't sleep on CNN's video on the city. It is on point and shows the network really "got" Richmond.