Vyborg Embankment runs along the Bolshaya Nevka toward the Black River, a quieter waterfront with traces of St Petersburg's industrial past. The interest here is not a single showpiece building, but the walk: brick factories, early 20th-century industrial facades, Soviet-era additions, bridges, and broad river views.
It works best as a low-key detour if you are already exploring the northern side of the city. Come for a different texture of St Petersburg, away from the imperial centre.