The CTY 3.1 looks like a solid bike. Another bike that seems to be about the exact same bike (at least in concept) is the Jamis Sequel. It's $100 less, and comes with Shimano 10-speed rather than SRAM 11-speed on the CTY. We don't know how many teeth the crank on the CTY has; the Sequel comes with a 40-tooth. Something like a 36-tooth might be better for recreational path riding, but that's not hard to change. Both come with at least a front through axle. The CTY doesn't specify what the rear axle type is, but the picture looks like it may be a through axle also. Both bikes come with entry level Shimano hydraulic brakes (they work well).

I'm not a member or customer of REI, but I hear good things from those who are (including discounts, coupons, etc.). The Jamis is an independent brand, available through their own retailer network. One of my local bike shops carries Jamis, and speaks highly of the brand. Jamis frames (at least some of them) are made by Kinesis. I don't know who makes REI's frames.