Smithsonian Mag Names Mill Valley One of the 20 Best Small Towns in America

From at the new and at to at the and the array of talent at the , we don't need to be told how vital culture is to Mill Valley.

But it's still nice to know that others are paying attention, right?

Smithsonian magazine just released its list of the 20 Best Small Towns in America, and "our little paradise," as many residents call it, made the list at No. 4. In doing so, Mill Valley was joined by the likes of Red Bank, N.J., Durango, Colo., Gig Harbor, Wash., and Oxford, Mississippi, among others.

The magazine's focus on Mill Valley is anchored by a photo of Mill Valley Music owner Gary Scheuenstuhl helping customer Alex Anderson amidst his mountain of inventory. The writeup highlights several local institutions like the Sweetwater and the Throckmorton, as well as the our gorgeous surroundings and, well, colorful history. "The setting and proximity to San Francisco attracted sawmills, dairy farms and resort operators, then Beat poets and hippies who scandalized locals by skinny-dipping and smoking weed," they wrote.

In compiling the list, the magazine asked "the geographic information systems company Esri to search its data bases for high concentrations of museums, historic sites, botanic gardens, resident orchestras, art galleries and other cultural assets common to big cities," focusing on towns with fewer than 25,000 people "so travelers could experience what might be called enlightened good times in an unhurried, charming setting."

"...Big cities and grand institutions per se don’t produce creative works; individuals do," the mag state. "And being reminded of that is fun."

Click here for the full look at Mill Valley and here for the whole list.