The not-so-itty-bitty city by the river is finally getting its shine on.
Sacramento, long labeled as the sleepy cow town, was often seen as the rest stop you make while heading west to the Bay Area or east to Lake Tahoe. But not anymore.
High costs of living in the Bay Area, and other coastal cities such as Seattle, are driving people to the alternative metro only to discover a hidden gem, with a healthy job market and bustling arts and food scene. While the city is still striving to reach its potential, the Golden 1 Center has helped kick off revitalizing efforts in the downtown area and is attracting more business and foot traffic to the Capitol City. Sacramento also has bountiful agriculture to offer chefs and restaurant owners who want to take ownership of the farm-to-fork movement.
The changes have caught the attention of the online lifestyle company, Thrillist, which named Sacramento the most underrated city in California.
The website picked one underdog city from each of the 50 states and focused on the best, often-overlooked attributes each city had to offer.
Thrillist highlights Sacramento's bike-friendly geography and proximity to wine country, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe alike. The article also states, Sacramento is an "underappreciated food city" that is "primed to grow into the state’s next great destination".
This isn't the first time Thrillist has shown Sacramento some love. Last year, the site's food critic ranked the best burgers in the nation and featured Sacramento's best of show including Scott's Burger Shack and the iconic Squeeze Burger.