Once widely known as the setting of John Steinbeck’s novels about rural California, Salinas has embraced the latest technology while continuing to be “the salad bowl of the world.” The Salinas Valley is one of the most fertile areas in the country, generating an economic impact of more than $8 billion per year and attracting a large foreign-born community (ranked #2 among America’s small cities). Its proximity to Silicon Valley has made Salinas an important agtech hub: since 2015, the city has played host to the Forbes AgTech Summit. Prosperity has followed, as seen by the city’s #22 ranking for Household Income. The city calendar is punctuated by community events like the El Grito festival celebrating Mexican culture and Ciclovía Salinas, an open-streets event that reclaims a 1.5-mile stretch of road for bikes and pedestrians. The sunny, picturesque Salinas Valley, ranking #22 for Weather, is a short drive away from Monterey and its world-famous aquarium.