Chicago's new Metropolitan Lounge Information

Hello all, today I was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Chicago Union Station, including an (exclusive) look into the progress of the Metropolitan lounge. I am one of the first non-Amtrak/contractor person to get a glimpse inside. I have pictures, but I will have to wait to post until I get home since I can't upload them.

The most amazing part of it is the fact that it will cater to 4 types of people with 4 different areas in the lounge:

Business, Families, Older/Antique feeling, and Modern/Millennial

Older/Antique - This will be upstairs. The windows to the upstairs go straight into the Great Hall, and they'd like to bring that into the upper floor of the lounge. Also, there will be a street/taxi stand entrance here.

Modern/Millennial - There will be lots of technology and entertainment. Downstairs.

Business - Caters to Business Class, an area with technology but not really entertainment. Somewhere to get work done.

Families - A family friendly area with a small kids area as well.

Other points:

There will be a snack/drink area, showers, and a restroom

Also, for a small fee, you will be able to have your luggage delivered to your roomette or bedroom on the next leg of your journey.

Any questions? I may have missed something or momentarily forgot about this while pounding out the words on my phone just before it dies.

Yes... why don't you have a zoom pack so you can charge your battery while continuing to give us scoop?!... :blink:

So, what if someone is older but wants to use the Millennial area? Photo ID with proof of birth after a certain date required for entrance?

Thanks for the first-hand report. It sounds like a great improvement over the existing lounge, although that sets the bar pretty low.

Haven't been following the Chicago lounge situation at all - approximately when is all this supposed to open?

Train2104 said:

Haven't been following the Chicago lounge situation at all - approximately when is all this supposed to open?

Click to expand...

It slips my mind since I was given a TON of information within about an hour and a half, but I'm pretty sure he said it will be open on a firm date of June 1st. I'll check tomorrow, and if it's different, I'll give an update.

A shower? Awesome! Wish more clubs (airline as well as Amtrak) had them.

Thanks Tyler. You are a wealth of information.

Thanks for the info. Well done

Thanks Tyler! I saw that it was underway when I passed through in December, and I am very pleased that they plan to have it done well before I am planning my next trip!

Wow! That all sounds so awesome - and in a not very Amtrak-y way! I expected Amtrak to throw a few chairs in there and call it a day. I hope it works as well as it sounds. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures!

June 1 is what theyre aiming for.

rtabern said:

June 1 is what theyre aiming for.

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Darn, I'll miss it by less than a week.

Here you guys go, My phone cooperated, here's the photos! Sorry, I didn't want to seem rude and take a ton of photos, and if some are crooked, I apologize, he was talking to me while I was taking photos so i didn't want to be rude and not pay attention to him. That hole in the roof will be filled back in, and that part will be the "Heritage" area. (upstairs), the hole in the floor is the new elevator, the area under the staircase will be food/drinks, there will also be a food/drink station upstairs. Also, the downstairs (where I am standing) will be split into the other 3 areas.

TylerP42 said:

Hello all, today I was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Chicago Union Station, including an (exclusive) look into the progress of the Metropolitan lounge. I am one of the first non-Amtrak/contractor person to get a glimpse inside. I have pictures, but I will have to wait to post until I get home since I can't upload them.

The most amazing part of it is the fact that it will cater to 4 types of people with 4 different areas in the lounge:

Business, Families, Older/Antique feeling, and Modern/Millennial

Older/Antique - This will be upstairs. The windows to the upstairs go straight into the Great Hall, and they'd like to bring that into the upper floor of the lounge. Also, there will be a street/taxi stand entrance here.

Modern/Millennial - There will be lots of technology and entertainment. Downstairs.

Business - Caters to Business Class, an area with technology but not really entertainment. Somewhere to get work done.

Families - A family friendly area with a small kids area as well.

Click to expand...

Curious. I was born in 1976, which is usually considered Gen X but is really the "Oregon Trail Generation" (http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/04/oregon-trail-generation/), closer to Millennials....

...and I'm gonna go for the Older/Antique area. They may find a lot of 20-to-40s hanging out in that upper lounge.

Meanwhile, the 40-to-70s age bracket grew up when plastic was new and exciting and will probably head for the "modern look" downstairs!

Whoever's doing the stereotyping at Amtrak hasn't really thought this through. But that's OK; they'll just be surprised by who uses which section.

neroden said:

Curious. I was born in 1976, which is usually considered Gen X but is really the "Oregon Trail Generation" (http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/04/oregon-trail-generation/), closer to Millennials....

...and I'm gonna go for the Older/Antique area. They may find a lot of 20-to-40s hanging out in that upper lounge.

Meanwhile, the 40-to-70s age bracket grew up when plastic was new and exciting and will probably head for the "modern look" downstairs!

Click to expand...

January 1977 here. That article speaks the truth. I'll probably bounce between the antique and ooh-shiny-plastic areas and completely avoid the children's area.

Also, I've made at least three "Oregon Trail" jokes this week.

Thanks so much for the pictures, Tyler. I wish I were, um, near enough to Chicago, and socially adept enough, to get behind-the-scenes tours like this.

The under-construction photos have that telltale "We removed or sealed all the asbestos and lead paint" look which I've seen before. That's a good sign because that's usually the most *delay-prone* part of a construction job like this.

Train2104 said:

rtabern said:

June 1 is what theyre aiming for.

Click to expand...

Darn, I'll miss it by less than a week.

Click to expand...

I have a late-May trip which I have to take. I may just have to extend it a little tiny bit so that I come back through Chicago after June 1 instead of before...

Thanks for the pictures, I had heard rumors of showers but wasn't sure if they were legit. Can't wait to see the place.

SarahZ said:

neroden said:

Curious. I was born in 1976, which is usually considered Gen X but is really the "Oregon Trail Generation" (http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/04/oregon-trail-generation/), closer to Millennials....

...and I'm gonna go for the Older/Antique area. They may find a lot of 20-to-40s hanging out in that upper lounge.

Meanwhile, the 40-to-70s age bracket grew up when plastic was new and exciting and will probably head for the "modern look" downstairs!

Click to expand...

January 1977 here. That article speaks the truth. I'll probably bounce between the antique and ooh-shiny-plastic areas and completely avoid the children's area.

Also, I've made at least three "Oregon Trail" jokes this week.

Click to expand...

Yep, that's us! (79 here).

You can play Oregon Trail here:

https://archive.org/details/msdos_Oregon_Trail_The_1990

Sarah, you got a broken arm on the first day on the trail. Best of luck.

Anyone have any questions or insight? I'd love to be able to try to give you guys some more of my knowledge.

neroden said:

Thanks so much for the pictures, Tyler. I wish I were, um, near enough to Chicago, and socially adept enough, to get behind-the-scenes tours like this.

The under-construction photos have that telltale "We removed or sealed all the asbestos and lead paint" look which I've seen before. That's a good sign because that's usually the most *delay-prone* part of a construction job like this.

Click to expand...

I was actually offered the tour, to which I happily obliged - Anyways, that was most of the work done "behind the scenes" up until now, "Building Stabilization" as its called, the removal of the asbestos and other contaminants - including gutting out the 8th floor (Old Milwaukee Road HQ), and the 6th and 7th floors (old Pennsylvania Railroad engineering floors), and fixing other structural things, like adding sprinklers and fire blocks to floors that didn't have it.

Well.... I've been wondering if they have an operations plan for ferrying the infirm and disabled (such as my fiancee) from the lounge to the train. I know how they do it *now*.

I'm wondering if they have a new or different pathway worked out, preferably one with less conflict with pedestrians. I noticed the "back door" into the taxiway on the architectural diagram...

Thanks for sharing Tyler! We should be among the first to know as the work progresses on what is shaping up to be a really First Class Lounge!

neroden said:

Well.... I've been wondering if they have an operations plan for ferrying the infirm and disabled (such as my fiancee) from the lounge to the train. I know how they do it *now*.

I'm wondering if they have a new or different pathway worked out, preferably one with less conflict with pedestrians. I noticed the "back door" into the taxiway on the architectural diagram...

Click to expand...

In technicality, the red cap can get there - however, I'm not sure but they may make another plan or route.

I'm excited for this! I love the idea of them delivering your bags to your room and I'd be more than willing to pay for the service.

Just talked to some people - there will be red cap service to the new lounge. Also, the customer service desk will be near by.

Thanks for sharing!! I hope it opens on-time on June 1st. Atleast I will be able to enjoy it for 9 months before I lose my Select Plus status on 2/28/17 thanks to AGR 2.0.