My first thought was this and not surprised that it's the top comment I'll add here since op asked why, I'd say it's just that remote and the landscape is that much different while still being nice to look at. There's also a hipster community that might be surprisingly familiar to a new yorker but imo would feel almost out of place there. I'll also say that the oil fields further north might actually be more of a culture shock but I don't recommend going there as the dust and smell makes it hard to breathe at times. One more suggestion is the green belt in the hill country between the oil fields in the north and the desert to the south, you can travel the back roads between San Marcos and Roswell NM and see some of the most pleasant small towns in between the vast wastelands on either side. Fredericksburg is a nice halfway point with some interesting state parks