A Las Cruces map can decorate stale areas in your home and add pop to the spaces that still work.

It is, in short, a nifty piece of art.

Yet the benefits of owning one go beyond how well it can jazz up a small space.

That’s only one of the things I’ve learned about the beauty and usefulness of map art since placing a Las Cruces map on our own living room wall several weeks ago.

The bold modern look of this Las Cruces city map comes by way of a company aptly named Modern Map Art.

I was looking for something to decorate a living room wall when the folks at Modern Map Art contacted me. They wanted me to sample their city grid map of Las Cruces. All they wanted in exchange was that I share my experience with you in a review. 

So, Yes, I said,  Send it over!

The super short version of my review is this:

I like the look of the map itself and how it looks in my home.

But map art can sweeten our homes and lives in more ways than one. So here below, in a longer review, are five of these ways.

5 Ways a Las Cruces Map Decorates Your Home & Life

1. It’s a nifty and unusual piece of art. 

Traditional and vintage-style maps of Las Cruces and other New Mexico cities are out there. But a close-up view Las Cruces street map with contemporary styling and high quality is not as easy to find.

Modern Map Art makes all of its city maps with thick museum quality matte paper. And they use an ink that is rated to stay looking good for up to 100 years (unframed) and 200 years (framed).

Either way, that’s a long time.

Prices are reasonable. (Anyway, they won’t have you rolling your eyes.) They range from $29.99 for an 8″ x 10″ map to $79.99 for a 24″ x 36″ map.

2. It preserves memories of favorite places and inspires you to create new ones.

I’m learning to prize my map for the good memories it brings of happy times spent in Southern New Mexico’s largest city.

Now, all of Modern Map Art’s city map designs are grids focusing on the city center. In the case of Las Cruces, that design includes the familiar long rectangle that defines the downtown area in the southwest portion of the map.

Downtown is where you find the jazz-age old Rio Grande Theater and the main branch of Coas Books, the area’s go-to shop for used books. Downtown is also where the extraordinary Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday of the year.

Lots of sweet memories there.

And get this: the Las Cruces map is just one of the cities featured in the more than 500 city maps made by Modern Map Art ~ including Denver and New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque.

So, if the “City of the Crosses” turns out NOT to be your absolute favorite city in the world, no problem.

Just ask yourself,

What other city do I want most to remember?  

and 

Where do I most want to go?

Then see if Modern Map Art makes a city map of that place.

Chances are they do. And if they don’t, there’s a good chance they can custom make one for you. (You’ll find details about that as you read on.)

3. A Las Cruces map is easy to order in whatever size, color, or quantity best suits you and your home.

It provides a clean minimal look for your space, large or small. 

A single map can do justice to spaces like the breakfast nook or a small bedroom. For a bigger impact, maybe you’ll find that a set of two identical small maps will do in that same small space.

Consider grouping three smaller maps or one large map in larger rooms of your home.  

By way of reference, my 12” x 18” map turned out to be too small for our living room. But it’s livening up a corner in our family room just fine.

Now, whether you display your map framed or unframed is up to you. It looks good either way. 

I opted for a simple black frame (which I found at Hobby Lobby) to set mine off. But you can check out the Modern Map Art website here for several examples of how a city map looks unframed.

Black detailing on a white background is the standard color choice for Modern Map Art city maps. However, many maps offer alternative color combinations such as black on yellow or red ~ or even purple. Some feature white detailing on a black background. 

Whichever city map you choose, Modern Map Art can change out some of the colors upon request. So that black on red you like a little can easily become light blue on red you like a lot.

And now, this is where it really gets good: if you don’t see your desired city listed as one of the maps available right now, just contact them about making it.

4. A Las Cruces map is a good conversation starter.

I’ve already discovered the fun of scanning the map’s grid with others as we try to identify the major neighborhoods and main streets of the city ~ as if we were working a puzzle.

For instance, at the top of the Las Cruces map, you see how the US-70 curves southward and becomes the city’s Main Street. East of downtown, you can also make out the small blocks that comprise the historic district, as well as the I-25 just beyond.

5. It makes a great gift.

A city street map is for that family member who always runs away to the same favorite spot every time vacation time comes around. 

And how about your friend who never can talk about that certain city she visited once upon a time without smiling?

They both need this map. Bad.

They’ll appreciate map art like this, particularly if they like to travel. Unlike a photo that might end up in a photo box ~ or a bedroom drawer ~ this is a gift they might actually put on the wall.

It’s no wonder Modern Map Art was created by a gal who came home from her round-the-world honeymoon trip with a severe case of wanderlust. The trip was over, but the wanderlust remained.

We can relate.

So get your city map here.

Sure, you might end up liking your Modern Map Art city map as much as I do mine because it’s a good quality piece that adds personality to your home. But, I believe you’ll like it most for how it keeps your memories and dreams of special places alive.