---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Official boundaries are often hard to…"
description: "\"Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head north on Woodward Avenue, away from downtown Detroit, you wouldn't know exactly when you left th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png"
---

#  Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head…

![“Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head north on Woodward Avenue, away from downtown Detroit, you wouldn't know exactly when you left the city and crossed over into Oakland County - except for a small sign that tells you.” quote by Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png)

> “Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head north on Woodward Avenue, away from downtown Detroit, you wouldn't know exactly when you left the city and crossed over into Oakland County - except for a small sign that tells you.”

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Administrative borders are often invisible, yet they shape our social and economic experiences.

**In simple terms:** Borders are unseen but impactful.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden boundaries.

Themes

politics urban planning economics identity

Mood

analytical informative

Type

political educational

When to use this quote

- commuting decisions
- real estate choices
- public policy debates

Key Concepts

Spatial economics regional identity policy impact

Questions to Reflect On

- How do hidden borders affect you?
- What can be done to make transitions smoother?

A Different Perspective

Legal definitions may differ from lived experiences, causing confusion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Avenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avenue/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [County](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/county/) [Crossed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossed/) [Crossed Oakland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossed-oakland-822509/) [Detroit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detroit/) [Downtown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downtown/) [Exactly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactly/) [Except](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/except/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north/) [Oakland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oakland/) [Oakland County](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oakland-county-822507/) [Official](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/official/) [Official Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/official-boundaries-822506/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Sign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sign/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tells/) [Woodward Avenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woodward-avenue-822508/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm a suburban mom. I grew up in Oakland County, Michigan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronna-mcdaniel/i-m-a-suburban-mom-i-grew-up-in-oakland-county-michigan/)

[Ronna McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronna-mcdaniel/)

> [What will it profit this country if we... put our man on the Moon by 1970 and at the same time you can't walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-cavanagh/what-will-it-profit-this-country-if-we-put-our-man-on-the-moon-by/)

[Jerome Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-cavanagh/)

> [I wrote my book 'The Amorous Busboy Of Decatur Avenue' completely like a writer does, writing it down, re-writing everything. But in my stand-up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/i-wrote-my-book-the-amorous-busboy-of-decatur-avenue-completely-like/)

[Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/)

> [I belong to the Flatbush Avenue Fishing Club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mullin/i-belong-to-the-flatbush-avenue-fishing-club/)

[Chris Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mullin/)

> [The Turkish Embassy in Washington is an ornate, eclectic building on the corner of Twenty-third Street and Massachusetts Avenue which was built originally for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-turkish-embassy-in-washington-is-an-ornate-eclectic-building-on/)

[George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/)

> [“We can only get to God through God. Every other possible avenue is a dead-end before it even starts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-can-only-get-to-god-through-god-every-other-possible-avenue-is-a/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [“If we conform our behavior to God’s ancient moral prescription, we are entitled to the sweet benefits of life. But if we defy its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-dobson/if-we-conform-our-behavior-to-god-s-ancient-moral-prescription-we-are/)

[James C. Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-dobson/)

> [I remember the moment when it hit me. I was walking down Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, and it felt like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-remember-the-moment-when-it-hit-me-i-was-walking-down-amsterdam/)

[Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/)

> [I take football as an avenue to different opportunities. Football is not using me; I'm using football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-peterson/i-take-football-as-an-avenue-to-different-opportunities-football-is/)

[Adrian Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-peterson/)

> [A photograph can make you feel so many different things. When you look at war photographs of Vietnam, or something similar, it makes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-testino/a-photograph-can-make-you-feel-so-many-different-things-when-you-look/)

[Mario Testino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-testino/)

> [Nan Kempner wore one of the first Saint Laurent trouser suits to one of those fancy Madison Avenue restaurants and was denied access. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/nan-kempner-wore-one-of-the-first-saint-laurent-trouser-suits-to-one/)

[Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/)

> [It is rather hard to be accused of shiftlessness and idleness when the accuser closes the avenue of labour and industrial pursuits to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-white/it-is-rather-hard-to-be-accused-of-shiftlessness-and-idleness-when/)

[George H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-white/)

> [No one in 'Banshee' has small opinions. They have strong beliefs, and they will defend them ferociously. Having that element in the show just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-starr/no-one-in-banshee-has-small-opinions-they-have-strong-beliefs-and/)

[Antony Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-starr/)

> [I was born in the city's general hospital on November 15, 1930, and we lived at 31 Amherst Avenue in the western suburbs. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-was-born-in-the-city-s-general-hospital-on-november-15-1930-and-we/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [“God has provided you with many avenues for obtaining wisdom and averting failure. Resist your inclination to accept advice with easy solutions and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/god-has-provided-you-with-many-avenues-for-obtaining-wisdom-and/)

[Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/)

## More by Robert Reich

> [The Democratic Party is DEAD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-democratic-party-is-dead/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [During three decades from 1947 to 1977, the nation implemented what might be called a basic bargain with American workers. Employers paid them enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/during-three-decades-from-1947-to-1977-the-nation-implemented-what/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [A leader is someone who steps back from the entire system and tries to build a more collaborative, more innovative system that will work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/a-leader-is-someone-who-steps-back-from-the-entire-system-and-tries/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches - with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-faith-that-anyone-could-move-from-rags-to-riches-with-enough-guts/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [If you give up on politics, you're giving up on democracy. And if you give up on democracy, you're basically saying to the moneyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/if-you-give-up-on-politics-you-re-giving-up-on-democracy-and-if-you/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Given that ever-broadening array of options and alternatives, as consumers and investors, we are often bewildered. We need guidance. That's where today's brands come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/given-that-ever-broadening-array-of-options-and-alternatives-as/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [I knew Hillary Clinton from undergraduate days and was enormously impressed with her. She was a terrific energy and enthusiasm, and a great organizer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/i-knew-hillary-clinton-from-undergraduate-days-and-was-enormously/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Public employees should have the right to bargain for better wages and working conditions, just like all employees do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/public-employees-should-have-the-right-to-bargain-for-better-wages/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Limits should be placed on how big big banks can become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/limits-should-be-placed-on-how-big-big-banks-can-become/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Every organization, no matter who it is, just follow the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/every-organization-no-matter-who-it-is-just-follow-the-money/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Community colleges are great bargains. They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Any bank that is too big to fail is too big. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/any-bank-that-is-too-big-to-fail-is-too-big-period/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Today, for good or ill, people are thinking about many social problems from the standpoint of their own kitchen tables. I think the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/today-for-good-or-ill-people-are-thinking-about-many-social-problems/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [There's sort of a chilling effect on non-profits and the media and a lot of other places because the establishment is so powerful. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/there-s-sort-of-a-chilling-effect-on-non-profits-and-the-media-and-a/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [We already have an annual wealth tax on homes, the major asset of the middle class. It's called the property tax. Why not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/we-already-have-an-annual-wealth-tax-on-homes-the-major-asset-of-the/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

[Explore all 255 Robert Reich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

## More Avenue quotes

> [“God has provided you with many avenues for obtaining wisdom and averting failure. Resist your inclination to accept advice with easy solutions and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/god-has-provided-you-with-many-avenues-for-obtaining-wisdom-and/)

[Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/)

> [I was born in the city's general hospital on November 15, 1930, and we lived at 31 Amherst Avenue in the western suburbs. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-was-born-in-the-city-s-general-hospital-on-november-15-1930-and-we/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [No one in 'Banshee' has small opinions. They have strong beliefs, and they will defend them ferociously. Having that element in the show just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-starr/no-one-in-banshee-has-small-opinions-they-have-strong-beliefs-and/)

[Antony Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-starr/)

> [It is rather hard to be accused of shiftlessness and idleness when the accuser closes the avenue of labour and industrial pursuits to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-white/it-is-rather-hard-to-be-accused-of-shiftlessness-and-idleness-when/)

[George H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-white/)

> [Nan Kempner wore one of the first Saint Laurent trouser suits to one of those fancy Madison Avenue restaurants and was denied access. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/nan-kempner-wore-one-of-the-first-saint-laurent-trouser-suits-to-one/)

[Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/)

> [A photograph can make you feel so many different things. When you look at war photographs of Vietnam, or something similar, it makes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-testino/a-photograph-can-make-you-feel-so-many-different-things-when-you-look/)

[Mario Testino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-testino/)

> [I take football as an avenue to different opportunities. Football is not using me; I'm using football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-peterson/i-take-football-as-an-avenue-to-different-opportunities-football-is/)

[Adrian Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-peterson/)

> [I remember the moment when it hit me. I was walking down Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, and it felt like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-remember-the-moment-when-it-hit-me-i-was-walking-down-amsterdam/)

[Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/)

> [“If we conform our behavior to God’s ancient moral prescription, we are entitled to the sweet benefits of life. But if we defy its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-dobson/if-we-conform-our-behavior-to-god-s-ancient-moral-prescription-we-are/)

[James C. Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-dobson/)

> [“We can only get to God through God. Every other possible avenue is a dead-end before it even starts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-can-only-get-to-god-through-god-every-other-possible-avenue-is-a/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [The Turkish Embassy in Washington is an ornate, eclectic building on the corner of Twenty-third Street and Massachusetts Avenue which was built originally for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-turkish-embassy-in-washington-is-an-ornate-eclectic-building-on/)

[George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/)

> [I belong to the Flatbush Avenue Fishing Club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mullin/i-belong-to-the-flatbush-avenue-fishing-club/)

[Chris Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mullin/)

> [I wrote my book 'The Amorous Busboy Of Decatur Avenue' completely like a writer does, writing it down, re-writing everything. But in my stand-up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/i-wrote-my-book-the-amorous-busboy-of-decatur-avenue-completely-like/)

[Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/)

> [“The "Avenue," so called by the Newbridge people, was a stretch of road four or five hundred yards long, completely arched over with huge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/the-avenue-so-called-by-the-newbridge-people-was-a-stretch-of-road/)

[L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/)

> [I intentionally aided them by being there and blocking an avenue of escape for the victims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-iler/i-intentionally-aided-them-by-being-there-and-blocking-an-avenue-of/)

[Robert Iler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-iler/)

[Browse all 61 Avenue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avenue/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head north on Woodward Avenue, away from downtown Detroit, you wouldn't know exactly when you left the city and crossed over into Oakland County - except for a small sign that tells you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Reich"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-see-if-you-head-north-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Avenue"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-see-if-you-head-north-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/robert-reich-1333_avenue_official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-se_1667232.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Official boundaries are often hard to see. If you head north on Woodward Avenue, away from downtown Detroit…” — Robert Reich",
                "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": "Robert Reich",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Official boundaries are often hard to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-see-if-you-head-north-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/official-boundaries-are-often-hard-to-see-if-you-head-north-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
