--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Main Street is wide, ridiculously…" description: "\"“The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when it was built, the town was expecting something amazing to arrive, a thousand people to stak..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg" --- # The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when… ![“The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when it was built, the town was expecting something amazing to arrive, a thousand people to stake their claim to a patch of soggy green land, a huge boat, Titanic-size, on the back of a truck.” quote by Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg) > ““The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when it was built, the town was expecting something amazing to arrive, a thousand people to stake their claim to a patch of soggy green land, a huge boat, Titanic-size, on the back of a truck.”” [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The town's Main Street was built with grand expectations, anticipating massive growth that never materialized. **In simple terms:** Big expectations vs reality. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations. Themes expectation urban planning disappointment Mood thoughtful analytical Type narrative observational When to use this quote - city planning - real estate development - community expectations - historical analysis Key Concepts sociology urban myth Questions to Reflect On - What realistic goals can replace grand fantasies? - How does expectation shape community identity? A Different Perspective Overly grand visions can mislead resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Built Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built-town-1902226/) [Huge Boat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge-boat-1902223/) [Land Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-huge-1902224/) [Main street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/main-street/) [Street Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street-wide-1902225/) [Town Expecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/town-expecting-1902227/) ## Related quotes > [According to legend. Telford is so dull that the by-pass was built before the town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lewis-smith/according-to-legend-telford-is-so-dull-that-the-by-pass-was-built/) [Victor Lewis-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lewis-smith/) > [The Lynburns built this town on their blood and bones." "That was their first mistake," Jared said. "They should've built a city on rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/the-lynburns-built-this-town-on-their-blood-and-bones-that-was-their/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [ They \[Rappites\] were moving from Southern Indiana to Pennsylvania, where they had originally settled when they came from Germany. They were looking for someone… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/they-rappites-were-moving-from-southern-indiana-to-pennsylvania-where/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [“When I got to the main street I saw that the town was in turmoil. To my surprise I found people breaking into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/when-i-got-to-the-main-street-i-saw-that-the-town-was-in-turmoil-to/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Suppresed I Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/) > [I, with other Americans, have perhaps unduly resented the stream of criticism of American life... more particularly have I resented the sneers at Main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-with-other-americans-have-perhaps-unduly-resented-the-stream-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Richardson ran on a parallel course beside Adams Street, but despite their proximity, the two streets were worlds apart. Richardson, on its path west…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-berard/richardson-ran-on-a-parallel-course-beside-adams-street-but-despite/) [Adrienne Berard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-berard/) > [“He was almost a poet in his old age and his notion of what happened took a poetic turn. 'I had come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/he-was-almost-a-poet-in-his-old-age-and-his-notion-of-what-happened/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“Last fall, I was sitting at the kitchen table of two friends who have been together since 1972. They tell me a story about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/last-fall-i-was-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table-of-two-friends-who-have/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Although we work through financial markets, our goal is to help Main Street, not Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/although-we-work-through-financial-markets-our-goal-is-to-help-main/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [There's less critical thinking going on in this country on a Main Street level - forget about the media - than ever before. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/there-s-less-critical-thinking-going-on-in-this-country-on-a-main/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [I'm not averse to helping Wall Street when it helps Main Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-nelson/i-m-not-averse-to-helping-wall-street-when-it-helps-main-street/) [Ben Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-nelson/) > [There's no recovery on Main Street, I can tell you that for sure. And in a re - in an economy like this, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-barbour/there-s-no-recovery-on-main-street-i-can-tell-you-that-for-sure-and/) [Haley Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-barbour/) > [If I had my way, I would build a lethal chamber as big as the Crystal Palace, with a military band playing softly, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/if-i-had-my-way-i-would-build-a-lethal-chamber-as-big-as-the-crystal/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [“Missing: A teenaged girl with lanky, blonde hair and a sunburst tattoo on her cheek. The holographic posters, brighter than day itself, lit up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-l-bernstein/missing-a-teenaged-girl-with-lanky-blonde-hair-and-a-sunburst-tattoo/) [Amy L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-l-bernstein/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) ## More by Karen Foxlee > [“If we knew everything would change we would have turned back but we didn't know. Thats how things happen. Especially sunny days hide dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/if-we-knew-everything-would-change-we-would-have-turned-back-but-we/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“But across the sea was this kingdom, and it was here I met the King," he said. "And the Snow Queen," said Ophelia, "who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/but-across-the-sea-was-this-kingdom-and-it-was-here-i-met-the-king-he/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“There is a whole week inside each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/there-is-a-whole-week-inside-each-day/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“There's no way to slow it down now it has begun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/there-s-no-way-to-slow-it-down-now-it-has-begun/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“And you might think a name is just a name, nothing but a word, but that is not the case. Your name is tacked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/and-you-might-think-a-name-is-just-a-name-nothing-but-a-word-but-that/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“I would be a wedge-tailed eagle. I would only live for the joy of flight. I would soar at great heights, on top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/i-would-be-a-wedge-tailed-eagle-i-would-only-live-for-the-joy-of/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“The tree seemed very sad to be involved in such a thing and it hung its dark head over them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-tree-seemed-very-sad-to-be-involved-in-such-a-thing-and-it-hung/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“I'm really disappointed about how you've turned out," shouted Mum like Beth was a slightly burnt biscuit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/i-m-really-disappointed-about-how-you-ve-turned-out-shouted-mum-like/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“When she stopped kissing him his hand went to her waist to pull her back. the sun beat down on us. The day quivered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/when-she-stopped-kissing-him-his-hand-went-to-her-waist-to-pull-her/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“Do you know what love is like, Rose? It's like having a sky, a whole sky racing inside you. Four seasons' worth of sky.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/do-you-know-what-love-is-like-rose-it-s-like-having-a-sky-a-whole-sky/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“A rumor grows, there in the first evening shadows, and gathers speed. A patchy, slippery, taffeta rumor. She was wearing a dress. A dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/a-rumor-grows-there-in-the-first-evening-shadows-and-gathers-speed-a/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“If i could have sung it would be a very sad song.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/if-i-could-have-sung-it-would-be-a-very-sad-song/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“The problem with magic was that it made her feel very alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-problem-with-magic-was-that-it-made-her-feel-very-alone/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“Old things can become new things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/old-things-can-become-new-things/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous and filled with longing. There were too many moments that made your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-trouble-with-magic-was-that-is-was-messy-and-dangerous-and-filled/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) [Explore all 51 Karen Foxlee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) ## More Main street quotes > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [“Missing: A teenaged girl with lanky, blonde hair and a sunburst tattoo on her cheek. The holographic posters, brighter than day itself, lit up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-l-bernstein/missing-a-teenaged-girl-with-lanky-blonde-hair-and-a-sunburst-tattoo/) [Amy L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-l-bernstein/) > [If I had my way, I would build a lethal chamber as big as the Crystal Palace, with a military band playing softly, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/if-i-had-my-way-i-would-build-a-lethal-chamber-as-big-as-the-crystal/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [There's no recovery on Main Street, I can tell you that for sure. And in a re - in an economy like this, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-barbour/there-s-no-recovery-on-main-street-i-can-tell-you-that-for-sure-and/) [Haley Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-barbour/) > [I'm not averse to helping Wall Street when it helps Main Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-nelson/i-m-not-averse-to-helping-wall-street-when-it-helps-main-street/) [Ben Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-nelson/) > [There's less critical thinking going on in this country on a Main Street level - forget about the media - than ever before. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/there-s-less-critical-thinking-going-on-in-this-country-on-a-main/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [Although we work through financial markets, our goal is to help Main Street, not Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/although-we-work-through-financial-markets-our-goal-is-to-help-main/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [“Last fall, I was sitting at the kitchen table of two friends who have been together since 1972. They tell me a story about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/last-fall-i-was-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table-of-two-friends-who-have/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“He was almost a poet in his old age and his notion of what happened took a poetic turn. 'I had come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/he-was-almost-a-poet-in-his-old-age-and-his-notion-of-what-happened/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“Richardson ran on a parallel course beside Adams Street, but despite their proximity, the two streets were worlds apart. Richardson, on its path west…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-berard/richardson-ran-on-a-parallel-course-beside-adams-street-but-despite/) [Adrienne Berard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-berard/) > [I, with other Americans, have perhaps unduly resented the stream of criticism of American life... more particularly have I resented the sneers at Main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-with-other-americans-have-perhaps-unduly-resented-the-stream-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“When I got to the main street I saw that the town was in turmoil. To my surprise I found people breaking into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/when-i-got-to-the-main-street-i-saw-that-the-town-was-in-turmoil-to/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Suppresed I Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/) > [“It's not a real place, or a place that you can stay for long; it's a somewhere-over-the-rainbow archetype but rooted in genuine emotions. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-le-mon/it-s-not-a-real-place-or-a-place-that-you-can-stay-for-long-it-s-a/) [Leslie Le Mon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-le-mon/) > [ Sinclair Lewis is the perfect example of the false sense of time of the newspaper world… \[ellipsis in source\] He was always dominated by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/sinclair-lewis-is-the-perfect-example-of-the-false-sense-of-time-of/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I hate fashion. Or the word fashion, which sounds colorful, extravagant, expensive and gorgeous. “I never wanted to walk the main street of fashion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yohji-yamamoto/i-hate-fashion-or-the-word-fashion-which-sounds-colorful-extravagant/) [Yohji Yamamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yohji-yamamoto/) [Browse all 189 Main street quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/main-street/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when it was built, the town was expecting something amazing to arrive, a thousand people to stake their claim to a patch of soggy green land, a huge boat, Titanic-size, on the back of a truck.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Foxlee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wide-as-though-when-it-was-built/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Main street" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wide-as-though-when-it-was-built/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d68/karen-foxlee-13133_main-street_the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wid_1785927.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Main Street is wide, ridiculously wide, as though when it was built, the town was expecting something…” — Karen Foxlee", "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": "Karen Foxlee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The Main Street is wide, ridiculously...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wide-as-though-when-it-was-built/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-main-street-is-wide-ridiculously-wide-as-though-when-it-was-built/#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 } } ] } ```