The Story Behind the Omni in Southampton, a Beautiful Space

One of the most attractive interior spaces in the Hamptons, in my opinion, is the passenger waiting area of Hampton Jitney in the Southampton Omni. About the size of a small airline terminal, you can relax in one area where sofas and chairs are set up in a living room arrangement, sit at café tables that in one direction look out at the coaches that arrive from or leave for New York City at a platform about every half hour or the other way through a glass wall to watch people lifting weights or working out on machines at the adjacent Southampton Gym. You can also, at the café tables enjoy sandwiches, soups, fresh baked goods and drinks purchased from the adjacent Janet O’Brien Catering Company kitchen. The ceilings are high in this waiting area. Skylights let in the sunshine. There’s even a balcony with railings for a private office up there. And, of course a manned information booth for Jitney tickets is there near the front entrance.

Surprisingly, this building was built for another purpose about eight years before the Jitney bought it and turned it into the Omni.

In the late 1960s, it was constructed as a catering hall. As many as 400 people could attend weddings, Bar Mitzvahs or birthday parties there. I did think that would be a big success. It had the glitter, weight and feel of something you might find in Nassau County at Woodmere or Glen Cove, however, so it was a bit out of place.

Indeed, it only lasted as a catering hall for four or five years. After that, it stood idle, but then got remodeled into an indoor roller skating rink. That, however, didn’t last either.

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In its next iteration, it became a health club with an indoor swimming pool, which was soon separated into two smaller swimming pools, one warm and the other hot with adjacent sauna and steam rooms and with lockers for men and women. But that didn’t last either.

Around 1973, the Hampton Jitney was founded with offices and reservation facilities in a drafty but workmenlike potato barn on Butter Lane in Bridgehampton. This building was huge, so much so that the Jitney staff used only a part of it, while the other remained a now-closed potato barn. It worked, though and the Jitney grew.

In its first few years, the Jitney provided only a small twelve passenger bus service that went up and back from Westhampton to Montauk on the Montauk Highway. You’d ride your bike to it, hail it anywhere along the route and place your bike in a trailer towed in the back.

It was thought as a trolly line, this would be a great boon for people who wanted to help save the environment.

Around 1977, these twelve passenger busses began routes to New York City and back. And soon thereafter, as this became in great demand, it became the travel service with the luxurious full size busses with attendant services on board as it is today.

In 1980, it seemed only natural that the Hampton Jitney would buy the abandoned roller skating rink and its adjacent health club. The café joined up, the health club got transformed, without the swimming pools, into a popular work out gym and thus this building became the transporation hub it is today. Buses travel not only to Manhattan, but to special airport connection stops in Ronkonkoma and Queens where taxis take you to McArthur, LaGuardia or JFK. And in the winter, busses take you to Florida and the Stratton Ski resort in New England, or, by charter to wherever you wish.

In a few weeks, you’ll come to the Omni to take your kids on a festive trolly car to the North Pole. I believe Santa and his elves help along the way. For reservations call 631-283-4600.

A giant clock on one wall makes sure you do not miss your bus. There’s even an office area on a balcony overlooking this space.