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Old 05-16-2011, 07:26 PM
 
1,157 posts, read 2,653,065 times
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I posted on the Austin board b/c there seems to be quite a few folks who travel there from here. I know that it is super trendy and popular, but I'm just wondering why? I went to Texas Tech so I know what west Texas is like and while my college experience was ok, I can't understand what the draw is to Marfa. I haven't been and have thought of going just to check it out but that is a long way to drive and a lot of days to burn for something that doesn't seem like a good time. Please tell me what I'm missing!
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Old 05-16-2011, 07:30 PM
 
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Don't know that I have the answer but, as far back as I can remember (and I'm no spring chicken), Marfa has been popular for the Marfa lights....be it swamp gas or aliens. People go there to see this phenomenon and realize what an enjoyable town it is. I hope you do visit. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
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Old 05-16-2011, 07:42 PM
 
Location: Heights
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There is a decent art scene there for the size of the town. Chinati Foundation was probably the catalyst for the art growth.

Marfa is a neat little town. There's lots of history and it's a different landscape than central, east, north, and panhandle Texas.
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Old 05-16-2011, 08:16 PM
 
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I was in Marfa about 20 years ago and there was not much there except the lights. Oh yes, the Marfa lights are worth the trip. You think you won't see anything at all but you will and they are very mysterious! I was back in Marfa about 3 years ago, and it had grown a little bit.

The town of Marfa is not much to speak of, there are a few art galleries and a few other stores, but really not much. I think it is more "trendy" "the place to be seen" than really a trendy place, but then that's just my opinion. Maybe it has grown even more in the past 3 years. I like to stay at the Gage hotel in Marathon. The restaurant there used to be very very good.
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Old 05-16-2011, 10:18 PM
 
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I think it is a nice getaway for people from the big city who don't want to go too far. I love the landscape and it is well worth the trip to experience the different landscapes from Marathon to Big Bend to Terlingua to Marfa and beyond. I have been twice and I was very surprized by the beauty of West Texas. I actually prefer Terlingua to Marfa because of its remoteness and proximity to Big Bend. It is very peaceful and I find the people that live there to be very friendly. I prefer Terlingua (authentic) over Marfa (pretentious) but it is all good. The only real reason to go is to enjoy the wide open spaces, big sky, mountains and remoteness. The scenary is beautiful and I can see why people are taken with it at first site and immediately think that they have to buy a little piece of heaven only to realize later that it wears thin after a few trips but now you are stuck w/property in the middle of nowhere that is hard to sell.
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Old 05-16-2011, 10:37 PM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
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The lights..it's the lights.

Marfa lights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




Carol's Corner | Where Life, Faith and Gluten Free Living Meet | Page 2
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Old 05-16-2011, 11:57 PM
 
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In the 1970s, Donald Judd, the most important U.S. minimalist sculptor, after inventing loft-living - i.e the appropriation of industrial space for urban residential living, got bored of SoHo, married a Texas oil heiress and bought a former air force base and several old agricultural warehouse buildings in a small trans-Pecos town in Texas, because it was the furthest from NYC in transportation time he could find. He took the walls out of the buildings and put in his best work and the work of his best friends, and created one of the most spectacular twentieth century art installations and collections in the world. This would be enough to make Marfa interesting. Add that it is the site for some of the most iconic American films from Giant to This is no country for old men, the mysterious appearance of mystical lights, relative proximity to arguably some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States in Big Bend National Park, and you have the most interesting small town in TX, maybe the U.S. The food is great. The old courthouse is pretty. You have two of the most celebrated hotels in Texas, plus the aforementioned Donald Judd overload, and the most magnificent night skies in the northern hemisphere - there is zero sight pollution. It is remote, between two mountain ranges, rich in wildlife, and is to my mind the only world class - whatever that means - tourist destination in the state of Texas. There is nowhere else like it. Visit.
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Old 05-17-2011, 12:10 AM
 
Location: san francisco
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I guess normal people have a hard time understanding what appeals to artists. Marfa, TX is the answer to Santa Fe, NM in some ways. But homeinatx pretty much summarized it best.
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Old 05-17-2011, 12:28 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84 View Post
I guess normal people have a hard time understanding what appeals to artists. Marfa, TX is the answer to Santa Fe, NM in some ways. But homeinatx pretty much summarized it best.
Marfa has few of the architectural charms of Santa Fe, which is a much older and bigger place, but none of the kitsch, and migol84 makes a plausible but out of time analogy. What Santa Fe was to Georgia O' Keefe and D. H. Lawrence in the 1930s, Marfa is to many artists today, but it is too remote to ever get completely touristy.
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Old 05-17-2011, 01:18 AM
 
Location: san francisco
2,057 posts, read 3,870,833 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homeinatx View Post
Marfa has few of the architectural charms of Santa Fe, which is a much older and bigger place, but none of the kitsch, and migol84 makes a plausible but out of time analogy. What Santa Fe was to Georgia O' Keefe and D. H. Lawrence in the 1930s, Marfa is to many artists today, but it is too remote to ever get completely touristy.
Yup, I don't see Marfa ever growing as much.

But to further answer the question, there seems to be a correlation with certain types of cities. Austin attracts artists just like San Francisco, NYC, or Portland. Marfa doesn't necessarily appeal to many in Austin per se, but rather to the artists themselves. I don't think a lot of people get that and think its just some pretentious act, which it certainly is not. It's like a huge unorganized community for artists and they all know about it in some way.

You think of cities like the ones I mentioned or LA, New Orleans, Seattle, Chicago, etc... but you rarely hear about cities like Houston, Atlanta, Miami attracting the artsy funky type (not to say there are not artists there, which there are) but Marfa, TX is one of those small towns that attracts this type. And there is also a Film Festival that attracts people from Texas and California as well. It's got quite a few things going for just a town of a thousand!

Here's a video I found on Youtube.
YouTube - Now Entering Marfa, Texas
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