Chicago Metropolitan Lounge

[Acela150]

I really like it. I think it's a HUGE upgrade from the previous dark, gloomy, cramped place. Thanks for the photos.

Agreed! The pictures give me a more open feeling. While I like the current lounge, I like it feeling open... The current trend in America...

I never had a chance to see it fully furnished. Nice, but not what I had expected. Seems sort of... Bland... I dunno what it is. I thought the upstairs would be more "elegant" and not match the downstairs.

Whoever had the interior design contract has obviously been doing commercial interiors for awhile; it looks like most refurbished hotel lobbies I've seen in the past two or three years (including Chicago).

"Modern hotel lobby" was my first thought. I like it.

Well the first word of your post is how it should be. Modern. Like I said above it's the current trend.

Very often people will try and avoid doing to much modification to infrastructure to avoid having to bring an installation up to current code.

This is being done in Cook County, Illinois. I *guarantee* that everything in the new lounge is being done to code. In Cook County, for example, all wiring has to be in metal conduit (or BX), iirc.

Why wouldn't anything be done to code? If it weren't it wouldn't be close to opening...

The fact that anyone is surprised that it's either delayed opening or just the fact that the date has changed gives me a good chuckle. Things change anywhere. Even more so on the railroad!

 

[Medic981]

Does the Metropolitan Lounge have a street entrance? If so, what street is it on? Is the opening still set for June 27?

 

[MisterUptempo]

Does the Metropolitan Lounge have a street entrance? If so, what street is it on? Is the opening still set for June 27?

Yes, there will be a street entrance to the upper level, on the Canal Street side. Here is a rendering of what the street level entrance should look like:

Image Source - http://www.unionstationmp.com/

 

[wwchi]

WEST side of Canal Street, right? Across from the usual entrance on canal on the east side.

 

[DennisInGeorgia]

Haven't seen much lately about showers being available in either lounge. Does anyone have news about where that stands? IF it stands?

 

[Medic981]

Nice pic of the Metropolitan Lounge exterior entrance!

 

[Eric S]

Pretty sure that's just a rendering of the entrance, not a photo of the actual entrance.

 

[Medic981]

Fooled me then!

 

[SarahZ]

WEST side of Canal Street, right? Across from the usual entrance on canal on the east side.

Correct.

 

[RSG]

Pretty sure that's just a rendering of the entrance, not a photo of the actual entrance.

Yes, you can clearly tell it's a Photoshopped (or probably InDesign) rendering. But I do want the luggage the woman has that actually floats a few inches above the ground!

 

[SarahZ]

Pretty sure that's just a rendering of the entrance, not a photo of the actual entrance.

Yes, you can clearly tell it's a Photoshopped (or probably InDesign) rendering. But I do want the luggage the woman has that actually floats a few inches above the ground!

It's not floating; it's on wheels.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Pretty sure that's just a rendering of the entrance, not a photo of the actual entrance.

Yes, you can clearly tell it's a Photoshopped (or probably InDesign) rendering. But I do want the luggage the woman has that actually floats a few inches above the ground!

It's not floating; it's on wheels.

But, being photoshopped, it does kinda look like it's not touching the ground.

 

[Everydaymatters]

I'll be able to see the new lounge on the 28th and on July 1st. I'm looking forward to that, even though I have memories of the old lounge - both good and bad.

So now that the opening date is closer, what kind of shape is the old lounge in? Misty wrote on another post that the air conditioner was broken. Are they bothering to fix things?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'll be able to see the new lounge on the 28th and on July 1st. I'm looking forward to that, even though I have memories of the old lounge - both good and bad.

So now that the opening date is closer, what kind of shape is the old lounge in? Misty wrote on another post that the air conditioner was broken. Are they bothering to fix things?

i doubt they'll do much in the old lounge since they're probably going to gut it and make it a waiting area for coach riders

 

[Deni]

Haven't seen much lately about showers being available in either lounge. Does anyone have news about where that stands? IF it stands?

There will be two showers in the new lounge, I saw them on my tour and my guide really talked them up.

 

[Meat Puppet]

Looks like ho scale people on a lionel layout

 

[mycalpal]

Thanks for the update. Does anyone know if the old Metropolitan Lounge will be available until the new one opens? I will be at Chicago Union station this Friday, 6/17, after I get off the Empire Builder to connect to the Lake Shore.

 

[Medic981]

I cannot imagine Amtrak would close the old lounge before the new lounge is open. Then again we are talking about Amtrak.

 

[glomor]

It was open yesterday!

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I was in Chicago between trains yesterday and,yes, the Metropolitan Lounge is still open and serving customers. I asked one of the hostess ladies and she said they are "hoping" to be in the new lounge by end of the month.

Also, I peeked into the new lounge and all the chairs I saw were dark brown and not white or off white. Perhaps the photos were misleading.

 

[Lonestar648]

I am coming through Chicago on the 20th so was hoping that the new lounge would be open. Oh well maybe next year. This year the same old standing room only.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Also, I peeked into the new lounge and all the chairs I saw were dark brown and not white or off white. Perhaps the photos were misleading.

Sounds like you peeked at the lower level. I think the white furniture is on the street level. (On phone and didn't go back to look at the pics)

 

[dlagrua]

The new lounge looks nice. We will be traveling on the Card from PHL and leaving out of CHI on the CZ in a few weeks. Not having that baggage room is disappointing. We used to check our carry on stuff for the 4 hour layover and walk out of the station to Greektown for lunch, then return. Now what do we do? BTW, does anyone know how you get to your train from the new lounge?

 

[RSG]

The new lounge looks nice. We will be traveling on the Card from PHL and leaving out of CHI on the CZ in a few weeks. Not having that baggage room is disappointing. We used to check our carry on stuff for the 4 hour layover and walk out of the station to Greektown for lunch, then return. Now what do we do? BTW, does anyone know how you get to your train from the new lounge?

This is the first I've heard that there is no baggage check. But, alternately, you can go to the baggage claim area and use the SmarteLockers; though be advised that they aren’t cheap if you have a lot of stuff and they can malfunction (a door slammed shut on me once before I got all my stuff out and I had to pay again to retrieve it) and the card reader was offline when I used it (cash only).

 

[SarahZ]

I remember reading they plan to have an unstaffed baggage room similar to the one in DC. The Legacy Lounge has a similar setup, but it's just an open area near the check-in desk rather than a dedicated room.