![Oak Beach Park, New York-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Oak_Beach_Park%2C_New_York-1.jpg)
The Oak Beach Inn, commonly referred to by the abbreviation OBI, was a
Long Island nightclub located in
Oak Beach
Oak Beach is a small community and census-designated place located near the eastern end of Jones Beach Island, a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay of Long Island. The community is part of the village of Babylon in ...
, on
Jones Beach Island
Jones Beach Island is one of the outer barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York.
Etymology
It is named for Major Thomas Jones, who first came to Long Island in 1692, where he proceeded to build the ...
near
Captree State Park in the
Town of Babylon,
Suffolk County, New York.
History and controversy
In 1969,
Robert Matherson bought what was then a waterfront barrier island restaurant and converted it into an enormously popular (and controversial) nightclub. The Oak Beach Inn, located in Oak Beach on Jones Beach Island, was the original, and later just referred to as The OBI. He later opened three more OBI nightclubs and named them according to their geographic location. The OBI North was in
Smithtown, New York
Smithtown is a town in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. The population was 116,296 at the 2020 Census.
The census-designated place (CDP) of Smithtown lies within the town ...
, the OBI East near the
Shinnecock Canal
The Shinnecock Canal (also known as the Shinnecock and Peconic Canal) is a canal that cuts across the South Fork at Hampton Bays, New York. At long, it connects Great Peconic Bay and the north fork of Long Island with Shinnecock Bay and the A ...
en route to
The Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one o ...
, and the OBI West locations in
Island Park, New York
Island Park is a village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 4,655 at the 2010 census.
History
Island Park was developed by the Island Park-Long Beach Company as a resort community in ...
(which had two locations: first at 3999 Long Beach Road, and later, briefly, at 50 Broadway). All four clubs were located on Long Island and were wildly successful for many years, bringing people in from all over
Long Island, New York City,
Westchester, southern Connecticut and New Jersey and hosting acts such as
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and " I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with ...
and
The Good Rats
The Good Rats are an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Their music mixes elements of rock with blues and pop. They are best known on their native Long Island, although they had some success nationally and internationally.
History ...
.
In 1979, Matherson sued the town to lease him more land for additional parking, which the town granted. However two years later, new officials disagreed, which caused Matherson to sue again, and when the court favored with Matherson, the town granted him $3 million and the nine acres.
In 1993, an unhappy Matherson started a "Move Out of New York Before It's Too Late" campaign complete with a hearse, banners and TV ads.
An article in 1993 in ''The New York Times'' provided details about his campaign, including information that the
New York State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Alcohol laws of New York (or commonly Alcohol Beverage Control Law) are a set of laws specific to manufacturing, purchasing, serving, selling, and consuming alcohol in the state of New York. Combined with federal and local laws, as well as vendor ...
raided the club one year earlier in 1992. One of the OBI West locations burned down after only a couple of years of packing in thousands on the weekends. Arson involving organized crime figures referred to in the movie ''
Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' W ...
'' was alleged but never substantiated.
Closure
Over the years, the OBI was involved in many disputes with the local community over issues such as noise, parking and traffic.
Finally, in 1999, Matherson sold the property to developer Ross Cassata, who planned to build condominiums. Matherson then moved to
Key West, Florida to open a new club of the same name. When it closed, the inn's two-ton statues of whales and dolphins, which were commonly touched by clubgoers, were moved to Danfords on the Sound in Long Island.
However, Cassata then sold the nine acres to Suffolk County for $7.95 million and the original property was torn down in 2003 and was replaced with a town-operated park, with later added plans of adding a bed and breakfast, upscale restaurant, boardwalk, water-sport area and boat ramp.
The park now hosts activities, such as car racing, and it too has caused controversy. At the time of demolition, the Suffolk County Legislator commented that the park agreement avoided "an enormous tax increase in Babylon, which would have had to pay a court judgment of as much as $20 million or watch its coastline be forever scarred by high-rise development" and the money came from the county's
greenway program.
Locations
The original OBI was at 1 Oak Beach Road. The building was sold in 1999, torn down in 2003, land turned into a park with a small beach simply called Oak Beach.
The OBI East was at 239 E Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays. The property underwent extensive renovations between 2018 and 2022 and was reopened as the Canoe Place Inn and Cottages with 20 rooms, 5 cottages, restaurant, bar and a 350 banquet room.
The OBI North was at State Road 25A, near Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown. The building burned down in 1980, and the land is now part of Willow Ridge at Smithtown HOA.
The OBI West was at 3999 Long Beach Road, Island Park. The building was torn down between 1994 and 2004, the land is now a parking lot for school buses.
It briefly was located at 50 Broadway (sometimes listed as 50 Austin Blvd.), Island Park as one of a series of famous nightclubs such as the Shell House, The Action House, The Rock Pile, and Speaks.
Robert Matherson later opened Oak Beach Inn at 227 Duval Street, Key West, Florida. Robert Matherson died in 2007.
In popular culture
Robert "Rosebud" Butt is credited with inventing the
Long Island Iced Tea
A Long Island iced tea or Long Island ice tea is a type of cocktail typically made with vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola, which gives the drink the same amber hue as iced tea.
The drink has a much higher alcohol ...
, while working as a bartender at the original OBI in the 1970s.
In 2010, the Babylon-based rock band Two Cent Sam released the "OBI Song" and a DIY video celebrating the Oak Beach Inn's history and impact on Long Islanders and the void in Long Island night life after the OBI's destruction.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIPKEJgHlns You tube video about the club]
References
Bibliography
*
{{coord, 40, 38, 22.08, N, 73, 17, 14.08, W, type:landmark, display=title, name=Oak Beach Inn
Nightclubs in New York (state)
Buildings and structures in Suffolk County, New York
Babylon (town), New York
Demolished buildings and structures in New York (state)
Buildings and structures demolished in 2003