The New York Times has named Chattanooga as one of the top 45 places to visit in 2012.
Chattanooga is one of only four U.S. cities to be mentioned.
The city is compared to such destinations as Space, Tibet, Florence, Vienna, Morocco, Malaysia, Switzerland, Uganda and more.
The article says:
25. Chattanooga, Tenn.
A city stages a comeback fueled by artists and retailers.
"In 1969, Walter Cronkite famously called Chattanooga the 'dirtiest' city in America. In recent years, though, it has undergone a dramatic overhaul with a radical gentrification plan and an aggressive citywide push to lure artists. In addition to a $120 million clean-up-and-invest 21st Century Waterfront Plan, an incentive program called Arts Move brings artists of all mediums into town; a yearly Southern arts fair called Four Bridges draws thousands each April; and several arts districts have been cultivated and nurtured.
"On the heels of this artistic transformation has come the inevitable, yet not unwelcome, boutique boom in places like the recently restored Warehouse Row, a Civil War-era factory turned shopping center filled with local, upscale and artisanal goods."