In the 1950s, more people lived in Texas cities than on farms – for the first time in the state’s history. In a sense, it was the start of a modern Texas. Fast forward to today. With the hollowing out of the middle-class, and with Texas’ urban infrastructure taxed as never before, what’s happening in Waco may well be an avatar of a second wave.
People are shifting from the biggest cities in Texas to places that are more affordable and have a lower cost of living, a comparable standard of living and a return to a sense of community.
Why? Chalk it up to the “Magnolia effect.” Waco’s Magnolia Market is the centerpiece of an HGTV home renovation show that has taken America by storm. “Fixer Upper” hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines are celebrities, and they’ve just come out with a new book, “The Magnolia Story.”
We reached out to the Gaineses, who say they’re on a media hiatus at the moment, but John Boyd of the Houston Chronicle has reviewed the book and has written an online guide for those planning a trip to Magnolia Market. He also took a recent trip there himself.
“Sadly, you’re not going to see Chip and Joanna there, but if you do, it would be a mob,” Boyd says. “There was a moment there where my wife had gone to the other side of the store, and I was looking for her, and it was this big mass of people. And I realized if Joanna Gaines came into the store right now, I would be trampled. … Chip and Joanna are rock stars to these people, myself included.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– The difference between Chip on the TV show and Chip in the book
– What to expect when heading to Magnolia Market
– What else to do when you’re visiting Waco
– How Chip and Joanna embody the “Texas dream”
