baɪ ðə bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ʌvðə twˈɛnti fˈɜːst sˈɛntʃɚɹi, ɐpɹˈæksɪn dˈiːvˈoːɹ wʌzɐ lˈɑːɹdʒ sˈɪɾi ʌv blˈɑːk ʌv smˈɔːl, dˈaʊnmɑːɹkˌɪt ʃˈɑːps fˈeɪsɪŋ ðə stɹˈiːt wɪð ɐn ˈoʊpənˈɛɹ mˈɑːɹkɪt mˈoʊstli klˈoʊðɪŋ ænd ɐksˈɛsɚɹiz ɔnðɪ ɪnsˈaɪd: ɐn ɪnˈoːɹməs dˈaʊnmɑːɹkˌɪt ɹˈiːteɪl ˈɛɹiə ɪnðə mˈɪdəl ʌvðɪ ˈɛvɚ mˈoːɹ ˈʌpskeɪl sˈɪɾi sˈɛntɚ.
By the beginning of the 21st century, Apraksin Dvor was a large city of block of small, downmarket shops facing the street with an open-air market – mostly clothing and accessories – on the inside: an enormous downmarket retail area in the middle of the ever more upscale city center.