Metropolitan Lounge

[Bootman4U]

I'm flying to PDX in late April and taking the eastbound EB to Chicago. I'll be traveling with a backpack and a small rollaboard. I am wondering if it is possible to leave these things in the Metropolitan Lounge and then leave to explore the immediate area of the station. IOW is it more or less safe to do so? Any comments/suggestions appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[zephyr17]

I'm flying to PDX in late April and taking the eastbound EB to Chicago. I'll be traveling with a backpack and a small rollaboard. I am wondering if it is possible to leave these things in the Metropolitan Lounge and then leave to explore the immediate area of the station. IOW is it more or less safe to do so? Any comments/suggestions appreciated and thanks in advance.

There is staffed check room in the Metropolitan Lounge. It is free, although most everyone tips.

I've used it a lot, and found it to be handy and quite safe.

 

[Bootman4U]

I'm flying to PDX in late April and taking the eastbound EB to Chicago. I'll be traveling with a backpack and a small rollaboard. I am wondering if it is possible to leave these things in the Metropolitan Lounge and then leave to explore the immediate area of the station. IOW is it more or less safe to do so? Any comments/suggestions appreciated and thanks in advance.

There is staffed check room in the Metropolitan Lounge. It is free, although most everyone tips.

I've used it a lot, and found it to be handy and quite safe.

This is exactly the information I was looking for and thanks very much for the reply.

 

[yarrow]

we have always found the lounge storage secure and convenient. if chicago is the end of your journey even though you are supposed to be able to use the lounge with a same day sleeper ticket i have heard of some amtrak personnel who need this explained to them. we have always used the lounge for storage when heading west on the eb. the lounge opens at 9 and we stash our bags and explore downtown until early afternoon

 

[Bootman4U]

we have always found the lounge storage secure and convenient. if chicago is the end of your journey even though you are supposed to be able to use the lounge with a same day sleeper ticket i have heard of some amtrak personnel who need this explained to them. we have always used the lounge for storage when heading west on the eb. the lounge opens at 9 and we stash our bags and explore downtown until early afternoon

Yes, Chicago is the end of the line for this particular trip. I'll be catching a cab to my hotel immediately upon arrival but thanks very much for this additional information.

 

[RRrich]

The Metro Lounge is only open to folks who have/will ride in sleepers that day.

We are assuming that you will be in a sleeper on the EB

 

[AlanB]

I'm flying to PDX in late April and taking the eastbound EB to Chicago. I'll be traveling with a backpack and a small rollaboard. I am wondering if it is possible to leave these things in the Metropolitan Lounge and then leave to explore the immediate area of the station. IOW is it more or less safe to do so? Any comments/suggestions appreciated and thanks in advance.

There is staffed check room in the Metropolitan Lounge. It is free, although most everyone tips.

I've used it a lot, and found it to be handy and quite safe.

Zephyr,

I think that you're confused here. Bootman isn't asking about Chicago's lounge, he's asking about the Portland lounge. The Portland Metro lounge is so small that I can't imagine that they have a luggage room at all, much less one that is staffed. Chicago has a staffed room, but not Portland.

Bootman,

I'm not positive, since I've never been in the Portland lounge, but typically all lounges do have a place where one can leave luggage for a while. Hopefully one of our members who has been in the lounge will know for sure.

 

[J-1 3235]

The Met Lounge in Portland has a small luggage storage room. It is not staffed as in Chicago. Worked well for me on my last visit.

Mike

 

[RRrich]

The Luggage Room in PDX is unstaffed, but the PDX Metro lounge is so small and INTIMATE that I would feel quite safe leaving my stuff there while I wondered around Portland.

 

[AlanB]

Thanks guys!

Like I said, I wasn't positive as Portland is one of 3 lounges that I haven't been in. The one time that I boarded a train out of Portland, I actually forgot it was there and never used my Select Plus privileges to get in.

 

[Bootman4U]

Thanks guys!
Like I said, I wasn't positive as Portland is one of 3 lounges that I haven't been in. The one time that I boarded a train out of Portland, I actually forgot it was there and never used my Select Plus privileges to get in.

I appreciate all the additional and clarifying comments.

Yes I will be traveling in the sleeping car and yes I was talking about the lounge in Portland.

This is going to be one of my somewhat frequent "fly there and take the train" trips, most of which I usually do to Europe as opposed to the US. In this particular case I will fly into PDX as I mentioned above, will take the MAX to Union Station and then the EB. When I booked this trip I hadn't even thought about the possibility of a cancellation due to possible flooding in North Dakota-Minnesota (a topic I read about on another thread here) so it could get interesting (I leave PDX for Chicago on 29 April).

I will probably post some sort of trip report.

I'm doing the Via Rail "Canadian" from Toronto to Vancouver (4th time) in late May and I guess I should post a trip report about that, too, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to do so on another site?

 

[RRrich]

I'm doing the Via Rail "Canadian" from Toronto to Vancouver (4th time) in late May and I guess I should post a trip report about that, too, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to do so on another site?

Speaking only for myself, I would LOVE to read a trip report on the "Canadian" especially if it contrasts VIA Rail with Amtrak. I hope that you will post it here.

 

[MrFSS]

I'm doing the Via Rail "Canadian" from Toronto to Vancouver (4th time) in late May and I guess I should post a trip report about that, too, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to do so on another site?

Our trip report section welcomes all trip reports from rail travels. Please, tell us about The Canadian trip when you get back.

 

[AmtrakPDX]

I'm doing the Via Rail "Canadian" from Toronto to Vancouver (4th time) in late May and I guess I should post a trip report about that, too, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to do so on another site?

Speaking only for myself, I would LOVE to read a trip report on the "Canadian" especially if it contrasts VIA Rail with Amtrak. I hope that you will post it here.

Bootman,

I think and hope that you'll enjoy your time in PDX. During it's open hours I've never seen the METROlounge unstaffed. It does have a baggage storage area.

The PDX station is at one corner of Portland's 'Pearl District', a formerly industrial area turned retail and upscale condo area. LOTS of independents and lots of dining options. I really enjoy taking walks through it. One route I'd suggest is to leave the front of the station, head to the north end of the station and walk up Lovejoy Ct. to Lovejoy St. and on to 10th, Turn L (south) on 10th and set your sights on Powell's bookstore on Couch and 11th (the 'word' streets are alphabetical in this section of town). This goal will take you through much of the Pearl. I hope you enjoy the area as much as we do!

 

[yarrow]

the metro lounge in portland is a favorite of mine. comfy chairs, a fridge full of complimentary drinks, a great refurbished station to explore and a wonderful area to walk in (always with the goal of powell's main bookstore and powell's technical bookstore which is actually a couple blocks closer to the station.) the foot bridge over the tracks is a good place to take station and train pics and interesting walking on the other side. we have always left our bags in their storage room with never a problem. access to the lounge is pretty tightly controlled and the staffed counter is right across from the baggage room

 

[Bootman4U]

I'm doing the Via Rail "Canadian" from Toronto to Vancouver (4th time) in late May and I guess I should post a trip report about that, too, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to do so on another site?

Speaking only for myself, I would LOVE to read a trip report on the "Canadian" especially if it contrasts VIA Rail with Amtrak. I hope that you will post it here.

Bootman,

I think and hope that you'll enjoy your time in PDX. During it's open hours I've never seen the METROlounge unstaffed. It does have a baggage storage area.

The PDX station is at one corner of Portland's 'Pearl District', a formerly industrial area turned retail and upscale condo area. LOTS of independents and lots of dining options. I really enjoy taking walks through it. One route I'd suggest is to leave the front of the station, head to the north end of the station and walk up Lovejoy Ct. to Lovejoy St. and on to 10th, Turn L (south) on 10th and set your sights on Powell's bookstore on Couch and 11th (the 'word' streets are alphabetical in this section of town). This goal will take you through much of the Pearl. I hope you enjoy the area as much as we do!

Thanks for the info re the Pearl District. If all goes according to plan I should have enough time to check it out on foot.

As to a trip report about The Canadian, yes I will plan on doing that. As I mentioned, the trip in May will be the fourth time I have taken that trip and IMO there are most DEFINITELY major differences in both the equipment, the service levels (and attitudes), and most of all, the FOOD (I'm thinking of my previous AMTRAK food experiences here although that was some time ago and things have, hopefully, improved since then...I'll have a better idea after my eastbound EB trip in April).