Staying with a friend, you experience the real St. Petersburg—and for many, that means vast apartment buildings with dreary public spaces, elevators that are both scary and skinny, and personal spaces that are quite comfortable. Join me on this unforgettable Russian elevator ride as we meet our friend Steve on the top floor of his building. (Please feel free to share any scary elevator-style memories you may have from crashing with friends in foreign countries.) Subscribe at http://goo.gl/8iBEnS for regular blog updates from Europe.