Newly built financial district a veritable Potemkin Wall Street

Moscow

IN the coveted corner office, a bearded man in sweatpants scrambled eggs at a kitchenette, all the while taking in the serene beauty of the city lights twinkling far below.

In the conference room, or as the company prefers to call it, the "common area", two other men lounged about playing video games on an Xbox. In place of cubicles, there are bunk beds.

High Level Hostel, one of the newest tenants in the financial district here known as Moscow City, sits on prime real estate on the 43rd floor of a multi-million-dollar glass-and-steel tower. It is not a youth hostel-themed work space, but an actual youth hostel - dirty socks and all.

"We thought, 'why not open a hostel in a skyscraper?'" said Roman Drozden…