Main Street

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Main Street or Main Street America is an almost fanciful, dated reference to the main region of small town/suburban America, since it really no longer exists. A traditional view of America is well encapsulated in this historical image from 'Peoria of the Past,' perhaps the best known American city when referencing Main Street America.
Main Street or Main Street America is an almost fanciful, dated reference to the main region of small town/suburban America, since it really no longer exists. A traditional view of America is well encapsulated in this historical image from 'Peoria of the Past,' perhaps the best known American city when referencing Main Street America.

This article is about the street; for the Sinclair Lewis novel, see Main Street (novel)

Main Street is the generic name (and sometimes the official name) of the primary business street of a small town in the United States and Canada. The equivalent in the United Kingdom is High street.

In some larger cities, a Main Street may also exist, but is more usually the major commercial street of a specific neighbourhood rather than the city as a whole.

Contents

Cultural importance

An example of Main Street today, decorated for a festival; Los Altos, California, featuring typical elements like diagonal parking, trees, and banners.
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An example of Main Street today, decorated for a festival; Los Altos, California, featuring typical elements like diagonal parking, trees, and banners.

In the North American media, "Main Street," or the interests of small businessmen, is sometimes contrasted with "Wall Street" (in the United States) or "Bay Street" (in Canada), symbolizing the interests of corporate capitalism.

"Main Street" is part of the iconography of American life. Examples include:

A traditional Main Street; Bastrop, Texas, featuring the small shops and old-fashioned architecture typical of rural towns.
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A traditional Main Street; Bastrop, Texas, featuring the small shops and old-fashioned architecture typical of rural towns.

Preservation and Main Street

Girls safely walk and play down Main Street.
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Girls safely walk and play down Main Street.

Main Street is the name of a community revitalization program begun by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the late 1970s. The core of the Main Street philosophy is the preservation of the historic built environment by engaging in historic preservation. Main Street focuses on a wholistic approach to revitalization based on the "4-point" approach of design, promotions, economic restructuring, and organization. Originally targeted at small, traditional downtowns, the program now encompasses sections of large urban centers.

International equivalents

  • In the German cultural and language bloc in Central Europe (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland), there is a "Bahnhofstrasse" (literally, "railroad station street") in many towns and cities. In some of them (notably Zurich), Bahnhofstrasse is the actual equivalent of Main Street.
  • Hong Kong officials, under British rule, usually translate Chinese Ching Kai (正街) or Tai Kai (大街) as Main Street. These main streets were usually the largest street of a village or town.
  • In England, the terms "Market Street" or "Market Place" are often used to designate the heart of a town or city, as is the more common (certainly in newer urban developments, or towns or cities which were not original market towns) "High Street".

See also

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