The Lounge is where you were given access. That subreddit was ok on its own but really it was a good place to hang out, be friendly and helpful which sometimes resulted in being invited to other private sections of Reddit.

Some of those private subs have a true sense of community who are truly kind, respect each other and fun to interact with. Before the awards went away there were many games with prizes and multi-day parties with lots of engagement and fun. Not anything like the regular Reddit.

Those places still exist but activity has declined since most third party apps and the awards/coin system were taken away. That decision not only damaged the public Reddit subs but also the private ones.