Petersberg (namely Nevsky Prospect) is not described in a singular way. The narrator chooses to define the environment according to different times of day. There are waves of overwhelming commotion that engulfs the street, though these are separated by periods during which there is a feeling of desolation. Nevsky Prospect is quite obviously commercial and so it is unsurprising that a good amount of the people on the street do not belong to the upper class. The story creates an air to this district with a renassaunce-esque quality. The portrayal of the area includes both positive and negative description.