Street names that suggest greater aspirations?

[Rothman]

I've always liked "International Road" by LAX. Despite the name, it does not lead you to either Canada or Mexico.

Read your first sentence more slowly.

[RZF]

Two examples in Oxnard, CA:
Fashion Park Pl suggests that it leads to a shopping mall. It's really just a residential street that goes to some apartments. Nearby, other residential streets are named after people. I checked Historic Aerials, and there's nothing that suggests there was anything related to fashion there at any point.

Outlet Center Dr leads to a rather vacant retail shopping center. These "outlets" were built in the 90s to compete with the Camarillo Outlets, but they never performed well, so now the shopping center just has a weird collection of dead businesses.

[GaryV]

Ridge Road in Pleasant Ridge, metro Detroit.  Both the road and the city have aspirations.

Technically there is some kind of ridge, because either the road or this little city sits on the divide between the Clinton and Rouge drainage basins. But you sure can't tell it by driving.

[kphoger]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

In Illinois, Carol Stream's Main Pl comes to mind,  but I'm sure there are better examples out there.

[freebrickproductions]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

In Illinois, Carol Stream's Main Pl comes to mind,  but I'm sure there are better examples out there.

Main Avenue in Sylacauga, AL also comes pretty close, not really entering the downtown area and running to the east of the main N/S road through the city (AL 21/Broadway).

[catch22]

In Redford Township, MI just west of Detroit, there's the intersection of Southwestern Highway and Fordson Highway in the middle of an otherwise normal subdivision.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hHDgFjES2Le9DLX19

[miclugo]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

In Illinois, Carol Stream's Main Pl comes to mind,  but I'm sure there are better examples out there.

San Francisco's Main Street is not particularly main.  (It's actually named for Charles Main, an early businessman.)

[SectorZ]

There's also MA 107 from Revere to Lynn which is called the Salem Turnpike. It runs from MA 60 in Revere through the Rumney Marsh reservation to Ballard St in Lynn before going over a super congested drawbridge and it has no interchanges. Was this ever proposed as part of I-95 north of Boston?

I-95 was to be just west of it. There was a dirt berm a couple of miles long that you could see from 107, but it was dug out and dumped along Winthrop Beach to help with storm resilience.

[GaryV]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

In Illinois, Carol Stream's Main Pl comes to mind,  but I'm sure there are better examples out there.

Main Street in Sturgis, MI isn't much: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tLcPQWAqPq6aPbb4A

[Quillz]

"Valley Circle Boulevard" suggests it would be some kind of beltway around the San Fernando Valley. (Think McCarren Boulevard through Reno-Sparks). Instead it's a mostly linear street at the far west end of the valley.

[DandyDan]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

In Illinois, Carol Stream's Main Pl comes to mind,  but I'm sure there are better examples out there.

I'm inclined, based on personal experience, to say Bellevue, NE's Main Street is not "main". It's a N-S street that's mostly residential. Mission Avenue should be Bellevue's Main Street. My guess is it was probably more important before they built the toll bridge across the Missouri River there.

[Big John]

In Madison WI, Main St. is a minor street that runs 1 block south and parallel to the major throughfare of Washington Ave.

[zachary_amaryllis]

"Interocean Blvd" in Holyoke, CO.
Holyoke consists of about 20 farmers and 2,000 cows.

[Streetman]

What is the least "main" Main Street?
...

The one in my hometown, Hamden CT, is an excellent candidate. Over two miles long, but just two lanes without a single traffic light or business of any kind, bordering one of CT's largest state parks. Probably named for Elias or Jerusha Main, buried in a town cemetery.
Lots of other good candidates. Each of NYC's five boroughs has its own Main St., but only the Queens one could be considered a principal thoroughfare. The Manhattan one isn't even on Manhattan Island but Roosevelt Island, which is part of the borough.

[GaryV]

"Interocean Blvd" in Holyoke, CO.
Holyoke consists of about 20 farmers and 2,000 cows.

It's between oceans, right? Just not all the way between. 

[roadman65]

Ocala, Florida has an "Easy Street."

[DandyDan]

Ocala, Florida has an "Easy Street."

Elgin, Illinois has one, too. I knew someone from college at NIU who grew up on it. Glendale Heights and Carol Stream also have an Easy Street

[Quillz]

There are numerous streets in the S.F. Valley and nearby that reference non-existent canyons. Dixie Canyon, Ventura Canyon, Walnut Canyon. I guess adding "canyon" to the street name makes them more interesting. All of these are also short, mostly residential, streets that barely even have twists or turns. It reminds me of the "Eagle Mountain Avenue" I mentioned earlier. References to geographic locations that sound interesting, but probably don't even exist.

[kurumi]

Alewife Parkway in New London, CT, is 1.2 blocks long. It's named for Alewife Cove, which it abuts (and alewife is a type of fish).

I remember seeing proposals from the 1920s or so including a longer Alewife Parkway, but a quick check of USGS historical maps does not show a longer alignment. And Ocean Avenue (part of CT 213) to the east already does a fine job of connecting Ocean Beach and other points to downtown and US 1.

(I wish I could find a doc supporting this, but can't locate it right now)

[Scott5114]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

I'm sure you can find examples of streets more minor than Oklahoma City's Main Street, since it at least goes through downtown. But it doesn't go much beyond that, and its role as address baseline is more or less usurped by Reno Avenue in most of the city.

Las Vegas's Main Street is pretty dinky too, considering that Las Vegas Blvd.—you know, our real main street—is right next to it. 

[jp the roadgeek]

What is the least "main" Main Street?
...

The one in my hometown, Hamden CT, is an excellent candidate. Over two miles long, but just two lanes without a single traffic light or business of any kind, bordering one of CT's largest state parks. Probably named for Elias or Jerusha Main, buried in a town cemetery.
Lots of other good candidates. Each of NYC's five boroughs has its own Main St., but only the Queens one could be considered a principal thoroughfare. The Manhattan one isn't even on Manhattan Island but Roosevelt Island, which is part of the borough.

Bristol, CT's Main Street doesn't have much on it, but go a block west to North Main Street and you have the PD, courthouse, city hall, the post office, and many restaurants.

[vdeane]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

Albany's Main Street is one block long and nowhere near downtown.

[freebrickproductions]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

Albany's Main Street is one block long and nowhere near downtown.

Doing a quick search on Google, I suspect the history of that neighborhood may have something to do with it, especially since you have a North Street, South Street, and Centre Street all right around it.

[Rothman]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

Albany's Main Street is one block long and nowhere near downtown.

Doing a quick search on Google, I suspect the history of that neighborhood may have something to do with it, especially since you have a North Street, South Street, and Centre Street all right around it.

Eh, maybe.  Real Albany is all about birds.

[Streetman]

What is the least "main" Main Street?

Albany's Main Street is one block long and nowhere near downtown.

Doing a quick search on Google, I suspect the history of that neighborhood may have something to do with it, especially since you have a North Street, South Street, and Centre Street all right around it.

Perhaps they were streets in a small village that was annexed by Albany. I've seen streets elsewhere that were truly Main in their small communities become less so when absorbed by a larger city.