"There is (noun)" vs. "(noun) is"
When you're introducing a new topic, it may be a good idea to use "there is". It serves as a signal to the listener (or reader) that there's a new topic of discourse.
Consider an example from song lyrics:
There is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun.
A house in New Orleans is called the Rising Sun.
They call a house in New Orleans the Rising Sun.
It's the first line of a song, so using "there is" sounds much better here than the alternatives.