Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


A Chat With Jane At The Carousel Opening

October 16th, 2006


 Jane Walentas with her Carousel, October 13, 2006


  Photo courtesy Jane Walentas

An article in The New York Sun today describes the carousel’s opening at 65 Water Street on Friday:

“Friday at noon, at 65 Water St., a 1922 carousel painstakingly restored by Jane Walentas — the wife of David Walentas, who through his firm Two Trees Management owns 13 buildings in of the neighborhood — will open to the public (for viewing only, no rides). The carousel is a beautiful ornament on an already delectable stretch of Water St., which includes Jacques Torres Chocolate and the French bakery Almondine, not to mention the River Cafe at the end of the street.(Ms. Walentas referred to this as the “street of dreams.”)”


  Photo courtesy Jane Walentas

I had the priviledge of chatting with Jane Walentas at the opening. Ms. Walentas purchased the carousel in 1984, and after 22 years of her labor, the historic carved wood carousel has been restored to its original condition. The decorative carvings and vibrant paint, leafed in 24k gold and palladium are beautifully embellished with faceted jewels and 1200 lights. The temporary space where the carousel is housed is unfortunately too small to allow the public to safely ride the carousel, but Ms. Walentas is looking forward to the day when a Carousel Pavillion will be in the Brooklyn Bridge Park will have a permanent home. We’re looking forward to it too.


  The lighted Carousel at night

We also asked Ms. Walentas about the Empire Stores. Her dream is to provide a place where artists can display their artwork in lofts and galleries. We hope it becomes a place of art but when that will happen is still TBD. Thanks to Ms. Walentas for her “dreams” and for her beautiful restoration work.

Jane’s Carousel
56 Water St. Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY
The First Carousel on The National Register will be open Fridays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

{David Walentas, Neighborhood Creator and Patron of the Arts, New York Magazine, October 13, 2006}
{The Paradox Of DUMBO, Art Around Town, The New York SUn, October 13, 2006}

Filed in Dumbo Art, Dumbo Events, Dumbo People, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, Water Street at 12:06 am
Comments
  • dave
    When will it be said that this blog is run by Two Trees?
  • nope, I'm not affiliated with Two Trees or any developer/real estate related company.
  • L.E.
    I think dumbonyc is doing a terrific job of covering all of Dumbo - not just Two Trees stuff. They mention retail in 68 Jay - Guttman's building, Jay Condo (not Two Trees), events put on by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, etc., etc., etc. And I don't see anyone else out there, including the Dumbo BID or Two Trees, who covers everything Dumbo as well as this site.
  • Raphael Septien
    Is it just me, or does Jane seem a bit old for her harstyle?
  • JK
    I don't know her age but I like the hair (both Jane and the horses). I think a carousel in Dumbo is totally cool. Greenport (Long Island) has a beautiful carousel pavillian. I hope this one is similar.
  • amradiostars
    that looks great, i am from youngstown, and the carousel was purchased at the auction of our Idora park which closed after a fire that destroyed most of the lost river attraction and famed Wildcat......the owners tried to open after the fire, but to no sucess...so they couldnt find a buyer for the park and decided on an auction, we here who still love the park watched as piece by piece was auctioned, and we have followed the carousel...and what she has done is magnificent !!!....its beautiful and running again after a long (22yr) sleep......someday i will make it there and ride again.....congrats !!! its a treasure....
  • OhioDreamer
    I also rode this carousel when I was a child in Youngstown, Ohio. As did my parents when they were dating - as did my grandparents on their very first date at Idora Park. Jane has restored a very important historical & personal treasure to many people. It is the only remaining piece of our beloved Idora Park that was saved. I wish her the best of luck and hope that many other generations will come to its new home, ride it on their first dates, fall in love, and grow old enough to watch new generations laugh on this beautiful carousel. Thank you Jane for saving a memory.
  • OH MY GOD!! Thank you for what you did with our Idora carousel. im too young to remember going to idora, but my memory has ben filled with stories of elder family members going, including my mom who rode the horses many many times. i thank you os much for saving what was once a crowning jewel of our park. god bless people like you who preserve history and its riches.
  • Vincent Morgan
    The members of the Lady Liberty Chapter of AMICA, (Automatic Music Instrument Collectors' Assoc., Intl.) are carousel enthusiasts. We also have connections to people who have carousel organs, coin operated pianos, orchestrions, and much more. We also enjoy helping people celebrate events by providing organ rallies. We have both large and small street organs and help people have a great time. I can be reached at (718) 4792562.
  • paulette
    What a wonderful surprise to find the Idora Park Carousel after all these years. It's a magical place filled with dreams that perhaps new generation can enjoy thanks to Jane. The horses are beautiful. They were getting old in Y-town. There are numerous memories of the park dating back to my grandparents generation and ending with my children. Such a shame Jane couldn't save the Ballroom. Shame on the money people in Youngstown who let this jewel be buried. Thank you Jane for saving such a marvelous piece of history. You gave me a reason to come back to NYC
  • It's just too bad she isn't paying tribute to where the carousel came from and instead calling it "Jane's Carousel." Long before it was her's, it was Idora's and the people of Youngstown's...
  • Nancy Meli Walker
    Thank you for restoring my Y-town childhood memory. My friends and I wondered what happened to the carousel. I'm very happy it moved to Brooklyn so I can visit it again whenever I want to.
  • Maria3
    I stand with other former Youngstowners who rode that carousel (for me it was during the 40's and 50's) and applaud Jane for saving a beautiful piece of history. However I have a question for Jane; Were all of the original carousel horses with the carousel when it was purchased? It is my understanding that some were sold seperately earlier. Could someone please let me know either here or by e-mail (mama141@operamail.com)
  • Dan McGahagan
    Thanks for restoring a part of my childhood in Youngstown! It's too bad it wasn't saved in Youngstown, but I'm thankful it was saved as an entire carrousel! We have a lakehouse at Chippewa Lake, Ohio and that carrousel wasn't so lucky. Thanks!
  • Cindy
    Growing up I visited Idora Park almost every weekend and the carousel was always my first and last ride of the day. It was sad to see this part of our cities history go, however, I am so happy to see it went to someone who cared enough to save this wonderful piece of art. Thank you Jane for saving the Idora Park Carousel, you did an outstanding job!!
  • Marianne Yeager
    I guess you could say I grew up in Idora Park. I have kept those memories alive by telling the wonderful stories to my grandaughters.There was something special about that park. My heart broke when it was destroyed. To see the magnificent carousel in all her beauty really touched me.I just wished it could have stayed in Youngstown and put in our beautiful Mill Creek Park. My thanks for these photos, now my grandaughters actually have gotten to see it. Thank you!!
  • FJ S
    I was at the aution whe the carousel was sold by Idora. They auctioned off individual horses then asked for a bid to top to the combined price to sell it whole. I had been a ride operator on the carousel so it was really exciting to see it go in one piece. Even most of the people who missed out on getting an individual horse cheered when the one bid was made to buy it one piece. I've been anxiously awaiting the chance to see it again!
  • linda koch (laskay
    Dear Jane
    I got to thinking about Idora Park and decided to do some searching, what a pleasant surprise to find my carousel, I would love to see it as I currently reside in NH. My memories of those beautiful horses and it was not just the ride, it was also seeing those beautiful victorian paintings in the center as we rode in circles
    Grandma would go play bingo and Grandpa and I would ride the carousel
    thank-you
    LInda Laskay Koch from Yo Ohio
  • Roslyn Torella
    Thank you! Thank you! The carousel looks beautiful! I am from the Youngstown area and loved the carousel and Idora Park. It brings tears to my eyes to see this beautiful piece of art restored and being loved by a whole new generation of children! I live in Maryland now and can't wait to visit Brooklyn to relive some very fond childhood memories. You are the best for putting your time, money and clearly love into this restoration!
  • Jock
    The carousel IS great and gorgeous. And, I would LOVE to see it in DUMBO as long as we don't have to sacrifice our precious little green space to have it. As I understand, Jane wants to place it on the cove in Empire State Park (so she can see it from her window.) But, a carousel means a BIG building to protect it. Could we please place it under the Manhattan or the Brooklyn bridge? We need to preserve, no pave, the green space we have.
  • Mark P.
    Thanks for preserving a treasured part of Youngstown’s past. It looks beautiful.
  • Dottie Maze
    My grandparents operated the first French Fry stand in Idora Park, so as a youngster I rode the carousel many many times. Jane is standing by my favorite horse ( I called her Snow Whte)

    Happy memories of that beautiful park/
  • Dottie Maze
    My grandparents operated the first French Fry stand in Idora Park, so as a youngster I rode the carousel many many times. Jane is standing by my favorite horse ( I called her Snow White)

    Happy memories of that beautiful park/
  • loose stool
    What I liked about Idora Park was the Magic Carpet ride in the Fun House. You always rode with fat kids because they could "bottom out" between the rollers. Tell me I'm wrong!
  • NancyB
    Thank you Jane for lovingly bringing our carousel back to life. I cried when I saw how you've restored it. I have very fond memories of Idora Park. I remember as a child the excitement of going on all the rides, the laughter and the energy of the park. But the most cherished memory I have is of my dear, beautiful, young mother escorting her children onto the carousel and her never ending smile as she enjoyed riding the beautiful horses. It's one of my first and fondest memories as a child from the fifties. Thank you Jane for bringing these precious memories back to me and I know your efforts will result in many more memories for many more carousel riders of the future. Enjoy Brooklyn. Maybe some day I'll make it from Arizona to Brooklyn and take a ride with all of you.
  • I love carousels and have seen many of them around the world, but this carousel brings back memories. I worked one summer at Idora Park operating the Tilt-a-Whirl. Those who posted regarding the French fries must remember putting vinegar and salt on them. Idora Park had a huge ballroom where my father listened to all the big bands prior to WW2. And who can forget the beer garden, the Jack Rabbit and the tunnel of love where someone once dumped a bottle of dish washing liquid. The foam piled up when the boats came down the slide splashing into the water. The monkey escaped from the cage and ran free through Mill Creek Park until weather and no food caught up with them.

    Thanks for saving a lovely example of what makes the world a thing of beauty.
  • ancient
    Unfortunately Jane wants to sacrifice the little green space that we have (around the cove) so that she can see the carousel from her window. I do hope the carousel ends up somewhere in Brooklyn Bridge Park - ideally around Pier 1 at Fulton Landing- with a gorgeous protective structure around it. It will be tragic, however, if green space is lost for yet another building.
  • Joan Yanchick
    We're just fascinated, Jane!! As I read everyone's comments I feel their emotion,too. We are such a disposable society and then there is "You". Not even from Youngstown, but you saw what we all see, and gave so much to keep our beloved carousel together and give it new life. I can't wait to see it "in person".
  • Jane Wardle
    Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou! How wonderful that a person as talented as Jane Walentas saw the importance and beauty of restoring this historic carousel. It's obvious the care and love that she put into this project, it's absolutely beautiful! This means so much to so many people. Four generations of our family rode this magnificent carousel.
  • John
    This is a very valued treasure of Youngstown Ohio . Idora park has a lot of good memories! Thanks for shairing this!
  • Jock
    Youngstown obviously values this carousel on a cellular level. Please Jane, GIVE IT BACK! Brooklyn needs grass, trees, and a place for children to collect ants and throw stones. The last thing that Brooklyn needs is another big building (to house the carousel) with requisite ice cream trucks spewing carbon monoxide to increase the asthma rates of these urban children. Please, Jane, GIVE IT BACK! Let the kids keep the 1.5 acres of grass that they have to play on. And we grown-ups would love to be able to continue to look out onto the river unobstructed by a big building. Thank you.
  • Meghan
    Jock is RIGHT ON!! I agree!
  • mod squad
    you're both wrong, Move to the country. Why would you live in the city and bleat about not enough green space. no matter what you think of the Walentas, the carousal would be a welcome addition to any neighborhood. You would deny ice cream to a child with some sanctimonious argument about pollution?
  • Meghan
    Yep.
  • ?
    we are lucky to have this, although it would be nice if it were set up for use. i've seen children stop in front of the carousel storefront and ask if they can ride it. one little girl, when told that it's just to look at said indignantly, 'if you can't ride it, then what's the point of having it?'

    carousels are not anti-urban at all. all of the great parks in paris have them, even some of the smaller ones. hopefully BBP will get underway and the carousel will begin to operate again one day soon amidst new trees, flowers and open green space.
  • What did I start now??LOL..
  • ramona
    Jock is wrong, Mod Squad is right. If you want grass move to the country. Jane's Carousel is amazing.
  • mod squad
    Dear Youngstown, Dumbo is more or less a "company town". not unlike many of the smaller towns in your neck of the woods built by Bethlehem Crucible, J & L., Youngston Sheet. The Walentas' cloned Dumbo from DNA from SOHO in Manhattan and probably a little bit of Williamsburg (Brooklyn). It is rather ironic that the Idora Park carousel has ended up here. The Walantes' are the boss and anything they do is met with sputtering hatred by many of the serfs still living in Dumbo. Anyway, the more you praise Jane Walentas, the more vile the response.
  • Lori
    Right on, Mod Squad. I'm all for green space but you really have to balance the value of a small patch of green space versus the historic and artistic value of Jane's Carousel. This carousel isn't just important to people from Youngstown, it's important to anyone who wants to preserve a history of how our society used to recreate. It's kind of like saving materials from old ballparks, like Ebbets Field. And in her painstaking painting and detailing of the carousel, Jane has literally created a work of art. I don't know a thing about the Walentas but I do believe that, based on her work on the carousel, Jane is an amazing and dedicated artist.
  • Joan Yanchick
    AS I said before-- If our world was devoid of great people with great hearts, we would not have great music or great movies or great books! Not to mention, GREAT ART! Whether from Yongstown or N.Y.C., you can't deny the heart that Jane has as an artist, and it would be a terrible thing for all of us not to preserve our own invaluable history. Also, Jane could have done a "lousy" job restoring the carousel....But she did't! She did an extaordinary job!
  • Macaasasass
    It's not so difficult to do extraordinary things when one is wealthy.
  • Joan Yanchick
    True, wealthiness can facilitate extraordinariness, but I could never be convinced that wealthiness is an exclusive factor in this extraordinary accomplishment. Do you know the amount of mental and physical commitment it takes to detail a piece of art and especially one of this magnitude?
    People are travelling to Dumbo because they share a common love for Jane's Carousel....I don't think they care at all about anyone's wealth. It's the Carousel that excites them.
  • J Brownstein
    Oh the wealthy who restore art.... damn them. Who the hell is small minded enough (Mod Squad) to resent art restoration? I went to Idora Park and rode that Carousel. I would like nothing more than to shake the hand of the lady who saved it. If I were the wealthy one, I would do the same. Individuals with small budgets usually have small minds and the Mod Squad blog is evidence of that.

    I do what I can to save the environment, the flora,fauna AND the past. I am not rich but appreciate the wealth that restored and preserved part of my childhood.

    Right on
  • Macaasasass
    Geez, relax. I have no problem with the "wealthy who restore art". My point was simply that many more people would do great things if they had the money to. I believe they would anyway.

    And yes, I know people who aren't wealthy can do things and make change as well. Don't go playing twisty word with me.
  • Bill Sheridan
    I grew up spending my summers at Idora Park living only a block away. I rode the Carousel so many times. Idora Park is gone...there is nothing left but memories that we carry in our once childhood minds. Thanks for saving something very special!
  • Betty
    Jane, after watching the CBS News Sunday Morning piece about your carousel, I had to write to you. (Link the CBS article).

    You not only have a fan club in Dumbo, but also have a fan club in all of us at Youngstown, Ohio. Thank you for restoring this work of art!
  • Cheryl Case
    How well I remember waiting breathlessly for the Idora Park carousel to stop so that we could rush forward and select a horse that went up and down (some were stationary). What I DIDN'T remember, until the CBS piece by Charles Osgood, was how exquisitely beautiful the carousel is. Thank you, Jane.
  • jm fay
    The bottom line is a piece of history was not only saved but beautifully restored. Now we need a home for it so all of us who love carousels can come ride it and not just look at it.

    We have so few of these left so we have to do what we can for those that are left!!! For those that can afford it; some of our carousels need help and if you can donate time or money to restore / fix them; please consider doing so!!!

    Minden NE needs $20000 to $30000 to fix and update the boiler for their carosuel. Lakeside in Lakewood; is going (we hope) to have a sanding party since they have a painter this fall; so if you live in the metro area or plan to visit it; please email the CO carousel society or go to www.carousels.com and post your offer of help there so that someone can find you and direct you. Lakeside has 72 animals (think thats correct) though some are child size so we have alot of work to do to restore it.

    If you know of another carousel which also needs help; please also post it on www.carousels.com website in the forum section.

    Thank you Jane for your time; patience and money to restore this one. We too hope to ride it one of these days!!!

    FYI; other communities found sites / fundraised for their carousels so y'all need to all sit down and work this out since a carousel is for people of all ages and shouldnt be used for dissension!!!
  • Darrin
    Jane, The carousel looks just as I remember it . I am now 40. One of my first memories as a child is of riding the black horse. I felt as if at any moment the animals would turn and look at me. My father rode this same ride as a child and I told him of the work you have done. We are planning to come and see the end result of your labor. My grandparents also rode this same carousel when I was little . I remember them sitting in the carrige seats and enjoying there time with me. Youngstown was a great place to be from. Unfortunatly the fall of the steel industry made this a undesireable place to stay. I see all the varied opnions of your endevors with this historic piece of my and many other peoples lives. I believe that anyone that was part of Idora park's life and the carouseel you have restored is more than happy wherever you put it as long as others can enjoy it. It endured by far worse conditions in Youngstown then it would having icecream truck exhaust fumes blowen on it twice a day. If it were left in the hands of the people it was retrived from it more than likley would have been burnt to the ground and all would be lost. If this historic monument were ever to come to pass for sale I would consider it an honor to bid. Long live the carousel of Idora park.
  • Pam Horter-Moore
    As someone who rode this carousel and loved it all her life (I'm 58), I am delighted that this treasure is safe in your hands. Thanks Jane!
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