Agree. I liked it at first but the more I use it the more apparent the design flaws become. The distance from the waiting hall to the trains is longer than the old one. In that sense the old station is much more functional. And that is saying a lot about the new station.
There was really no alternative to the design, because tearing down Madison Square Garden and the office tower was just not an option. Of course the old station is more functional, because that's what it was built for. Moynihan is located in the old post office, and the access to the platforms is to where they used to have the mail cars when trains had mail cars. I personally don't find Moynihan to be too much of a problem. When I travel in a sleeper or and Acela (or northeast Regional business class) it's really not so important to be first on the platform, as the seats and rooms are pre assigned anyway. (The crowds and lines might be a good reason for Amtrak to start advance assignment of seats seats in coach, however.) Also, there's a perfectly good waiting area in the old Penn Station that can be used by ticketed Amtrak passengers if walking down the platform is too difficult. Plus there are redcaps who can help.
I wonder if it makes a difference which train you’re boarding. I remember when we took the Pennsylvanian that we just went down the steps and our train was there which was easier than running the gauntlet from the old waiting room.
I know they were at least at first…whether they still are I don’t know. They may still have Kiosks down there haven’t been down in a while - ticket counter definitely not - it’s Moynihan if you want a staffed ticket counter. In fact there are plans within Amtrak to repurpose the old ticket counter and ClubAcela spaces as leased retail. How this meshes with the larger redevelopment project I don’t know.
Same thing with some Southbound Acelas, I've boarded several times straight from the Escalator onto my Train!
Because the Moynihan escalators are at the extreme west end of the platform, and because all Acela first class cars are at the extreme west end of the train, Acela first class passengers will always find their car right at the bottom of the escalator.
Since you'll be in the Metro Lounge @ Moynihan, using a Red Cap( tell the Desk Clerk when you enter the Lounge) to board your Train ahead of the Thundering Herd is worth a $5 Tip.
The West End Concourse and Moynihan are separate, though both are west of 8th Ave. I think the best description is it is between Penn and Moynihan. Physically it is pretty much underneath the Post Office steps fronting 8th Ave on the same level as the LIRR concourses. The West End concourse is accessible from Moynihan (and Penn) but is entirely separate from Moynihan's gates.
ive been in plenty of train, bus, plane lounges that had other tv networks on that i didnt like and i just dealt with it.
I view the West End Concourse as right beside and below, in a way. I suspect the problem for a coach non-Metro Lounge rider the problem is finding out early which track to go to and I don't know the answer to that? If you did want to try this, once you do know which track, I would suggest depending on how much luggage you have and whether you can navigate non-escalator stairs, heading to the escalator on the north-east side of Moynihan or the elevator 5&6 on the SE side. Go down one level to the West End Concourse. Then walk to the correct track and walk down one more flight of stairs and you are there. Or, if you have to take an elevator, go to the correct track elevator and push the up and down button, get on either going up or down and head down to the tracks. The idea being catch it going up in case there is a line in Moynihan to get on it you will have established your place on it already and ride it back down to the tracks.
The website says purchasing is limited to Business Class passengers:
I find the public TV, especially cable news, whatever the channel, to be annoying. The lounge in Washington has 2 TVs, one usually with CNN, the other with a variety of other channels, and they are placed so that you can't avoid hearing them wherever you sit. (There are a few exceptions.) Having to listen to annoying background noise sort of negates the advantage of being able to sit in in a first-class lounge. That's why I was pleasantly surprised the Moynihan Lounge has a separate TV viewing area, which leaves most of the rest of the lounge blessedly free of the TV distraction.
