--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: New York is the dirtiest, largest…" description: "\"New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down city in the world-but it's the only one.\" — Isaac Stern" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png" --- # New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down… ![“New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down city in the world-but it's the only one.” quote by Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png) > “New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down city in the world-but it's the only one.” [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes New York as flawed yet uniquely irreplaceable, highlighting its paradoxical charm. **In simple terms:** NYC is imperfect but the only city like it. Key Takeaway Embrace the city's flaws as part of its identity. Themes city identity paradox Mood reflective affectionate Type cultural observational When to use this quote - travel writing - city planning - cultural tourism - personal narratives Key Concepts urban sociology place attachment Questions to Reflect On - What makes a city indispensable to you? - How do you balance love and criticism of a place? A Different Perspective Idealizing a city can overlook serious issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Cities in the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities-in-the-world/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I will meet you in the dirtiest city you can dream of. We will drink cocktails so sweet they pucker our cheeks, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-tea/i-will-meet-you-in-the-dirtiest-city-you-can-dream-of-we-will-drink/) [Michelle Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-tea/) > [First of all, who's your A&R? A mountain climber who plays an electric guitar? 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Nobody touches him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/bob-saget-is-the-dirtiest-comic-who-s-ever-lived-nobody-touches-him/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“In all my experience along the dirtiest ways of this dirty little world, I have never met with such a thing as a trifle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/in-all-my-experience-along-the-dirtiest-ways-of-this-dirty-little/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [And you can look up just about anything, even dirty pictures. Every now and again, the dirtiest pictures you ever saw would pop up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/and-you-can-look-up-just-about-anything-even-dirty-pictures-every-now/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [I think the dirtiest word in the English language is retirement. 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I'd be the dirtiest skank they've ever seen. -Olive Penderghast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/easy-a/people-thought-i-was-a-dirty-skank-fine-i-d-be-the-dirtiest-skank/) [Easy A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/easy-a/) > [I have said my philosophy - I'm a backyard philosopher, I guess - is that the dirtiest word in the English language is "retirement."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr-2/i-have-said-my-philosophy-i-m-a-backyard-philosopher-i-guess-is-that/) [Frank Sinatra, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr-2/) ## More by Isaac Stern > [I have known Ori Kam for several years and have always regarded him as an extraordinarily talented young mucisian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/i-have-known-ori-kam-for-several-years-and-have-always-regarded-him/) [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) > [A great conductor possesses that certain charisma and talent that demand the ears and the attention of an audience. I can't tell you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/a-great-conductor-possesses-that-certain-charisma-and-talent-that/) [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) > [Everywhere in the world, music enhances a hall, with one exception: Carnegie Hall enhances the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/everywhere-in-the-world-music-enhances-a-hall-with-one-exception/) [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) > [Music is not an acquired culture... it is an active part of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/music-is-not-an-acquired-culture-it-is-an-active-part-of-life/) [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) > [It is only through failure and through experiment that we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/it-is-only-through-failure-and-through-experiment-that-we-learn-and/) [Isaac Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/) > [I have a responsibility to pass on to the next generation what I learned from my teachers, ... 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Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down city in the world-but it's the only one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Isaac Stern" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest-broken-down-city-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Broken" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest-broken-down-city-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/isaac-stern-28147_broken_new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest_1806829.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“New York is the dirtiest, largest, ugliest, broken-down city in the world-but it's the only one.” — Isaac Stern", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Isaac Stern", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-stern/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "New York is the dirtiest, largest,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest-broken-down-city-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-stern/new-york-is-the-dirtiest-largest-ugliest-broken-down-city-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```