Learn Spanish (Latin America): Es un lugar muy extraño.

In Spanish, you usually do not need a word for "it" when it is the subject of a sentence. The verb es already means "he is", "she is", or "it is". Because the context makes it clear, you can just start the sentence with the verb.

Why do we use es here instead of está?

We use es (from the verb ser) because we are describing a fundamental characteristic of the place. You use ser for basic descriptions and traits, while estar is used for temporary states, feelings, or physical locations.

Why does muy extraño come after un lugar instead of before it?

In English, we put the adjective before the noun ("a very strange place"). In Spanish, describing words (adjectives) almost always come right after the noun they describe. Because extraño describes lugar (place), the whole phrase muy extraño goes after it.

Would extraño change if we were talking about a feminine noun?

Yes! Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Lugar is a masculine noun, so we use extraño. If you were talking about una casa (a house), which is feminine, you would say una casa muy extraña.