Legacy Lounge CUS

Desertdweller wrote: The decline of passenger dress is lamentable. When I was in college, one of my friend's father was a pilot for a major airline. He was taught that one should "dress up" when flying on a commercial airline. Suit and tie. Nowadays, people dress better to take a LD train than they do to fly. Airliners have become flying buses and passengers dress accordingly.
Les

Just about everyone is dressing down today for just about every event, not just passengers traveling.
I remember blue collar workers wearing uniforms with hats and ties. Today white collar workers wear casual at least once a week, if not more. The first to go were the hats, the second to go were the ties, soon coats and jackets followed.
About the only events people dress up to the nines anymore are for formal occasions, weddings, funerals, premieres, and award shows. Traveling just isn't a special occasion anymore, therefore dressing casual is appropriate, even in first class.

Still, there's a difference between business casual (and between-sleepers casual) and dressing, in the words of a Philadelphia restaurant critic, as though you're getting set to wash the car. (He disapproved.)

Mr. Norman, a separate issue, but will you be posting any train or station photos? It would make a nice change from all the stainless steel and platinum mist we're used to.

I was enjoying a drink in an observation-lounge car (don't remember what train). While standing at the bar, I overheard two guys talking about a third one.
"He was such a Goober, he was wearing blue pants and brown shoes!"
I looked sadly down at my blue pants and brown shoes. Finished my drink and went back to my car.

Les

From Crowne Plaza Piitter Salzburg

Mr. Ex Con, I did send Mr. Dunville some photos of patrons dressed for the opera here in Salzburg, but I have never signed up for any photo sharing site that apparently you need to do in order to post photos at the site.

But from what I have seen, European railways have definitely become the "splash of colors". I can remember first time I came over here was 1960 and there was still steam then. Colors on the Continent were pretty much all the same with dark blues and greens dominating.

The biggest negative I've noted is that shrink wrapped advertising has become rather prevalent.

I'm writing this from the Metropolitan Lounge at CUS, off the Capitol Limited changing to the Empire Builder to Spokane for this year's 5-day World Science Fiction Convention. Just took a quick stroll around the lounge and none of the 50 or so passengers here are dressed business casual or above. Mostly jeans and tee shirt or similar. Probably a bit skewed given Saturday is not a business day for most.

EricL wrote: the Metro restaurant/bar closed a few months back

(Slightly off-topic, but...) Oh no! It was always a stop for me when I pass through CUS and I was looking forward to another lunch there next month. The place had a great old-school feel, reminding me of the classic lunch counters that used to be found at all big city stations and that have now been replaced by fast food emporia. Is anything else going into that space?

We come/go "west of Buffalo" via the Lake Shore and when she is really late, we miss our usual lunch out with an old Chicago friend and try to get a reasonable meal in station before boarding CZ, EB, or SWC for the next leg. We will be doing this next month and I had no idea that the Metro was gone...thanks for the warning. Disparity in nice sanctuaries like Delta's first class lounges also are a given: Newark is a dud compared to the new club at Kennedy and all are outclassed by KLM in Paris....Amtrak just doesn't seem to make much sense with most such lounges, try the odd one in Minneapolis: a glassed in corner as far from the train as is possible with no attendant or any amenities...several out of date magazines and some old couches. Midway you could at least look at the tracks and go out the door to board! If you take a sleeper on the Canadian out of Toronto, the new lounge is upstairs, very nice and your reservations, meal seating, and introductions are done there with a long walk down/up to the platform all understandable given the major reconstruction of this classic station. As to dress, we are both 75 years old and used to being presentable and when last on the Canadian, one of our seatmates at dinner did make it a point to "dress for dinner" for which I thanked him! It really is possible to dress comfortably for travel without being totally uncaring about appearances.

Regarding food at CUS - and I'll break this topic into a new thread later today or tomorrow - never fret the disappearance of the Metro Bar. You have a few good options. South Branch, just over the river (you can see into CUS-north) is quite good, and Lou Mitchell's is one of my favorite greasy spoons. The French market over at Northwestern station is also quite fun. There are lots of options there. My favorite is the french fry stand. Chicago has great food options.

TomNelligan wrote:

EricL wrote: the Metro restaurant/bar closed a few months back

(Slightly off-topic, but...) Oh no! It was always a stop for me when I pass through CUS and I was looking forward to another lunch there next month. The place had a great old-school feel, reminding me of the classic lunch counters that used to be found at all big city stations and that have now been replaced by fast food emporia. Is anything else going into that space?

I agree with you 100% regarding the Metro Deli. But it is my understanding that it was forced to close because of station renovations that are supposed to occur. Whether it finds another location in the station, who knows?