(Instert standard warning about possible spoilers)
In the scene where Michael and Jr. first go to the hotel were ‘Neddy’ (Netty?) is, Michael drops off Jr. in a large room filled wall-to-wall with people sitting and reading a newspaper. Not a cafe’ or bar, just a room. With people reading.
WTF was that? Did people in the 30’s enjoy being near people when reading the paper?
I assumed it was a train station or something.
Don’t forget there was a depression going on. There was a surplus of people hanging around waiting for work, doing whatever…
Yeah, I was pretty sure it was a train station, too.
Brutus! I asked this same question a couple a months ago. My husband said it wasn’t a train station because there were no announcements or something or other.
[sub]Aren’t you the guy that likes the X5 4.41?[/sub]
For what it’s worth (which isn’t much), here’s the link to my thread in GQ.
I didn’t ask any myself any questions about that scene when I saw it, but you’re right: that is sort of mysterious.
The (un)employment office has my bet.
When I saw it I thought it was a train station, mainly because of the architecture. If it was an some employment office, they sure do have nice digs.
And the guy Michael went to see was Frank Nitti, Al Capone’s enforcer. And I think “the Enforcer” was his official nickname, too.
I just don’t see it being a train station. No announcements, didn’t see any people with luggage. I am sticking with my ‘People from the 30’s were crazy, and enjoyed reading newspapers in public places’ theory. 
And ya, I am eyeballing a X5 awfull hard. My lease is up in a few months on my Trailblazer, so I have to start looking now if I want to order a new ride. And if I buy instead of lease, it will be something from Germania or the Land of the Rising Sun. My budget is pretty good, so the X5 looks good (although a bit more than I want to spend.) Dunno. May look at the new Volvo SUV’s. I get a miniscule vendor discount on those.
I assumed it was a train station. A train station would be a nice place to go sit out of the cold in the middle of a Depression-era winter.
The film is set during the Depression, and during the Depression men would get up early in the morning, get dressed for jobs they didn’t have, and then go scavenge for the newspapers to find jobs advertised in them. Generally, this would happen at the public library, but I’m not sure what sort of place that particular room is supposed to be. Strangely, I watched this film just last night with my South African flatmate and he asked the same question you did.