Jane’s Carousel Progress
April 19th, 2011
The structure that will house Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park is being constructed and is scheduled for completion around August 2011. The restored 1922 carousel is donated by Jane Walentas and will be enclosed by a Jean Nouvel-designed glass structure.
{Steel Rising at Jane’s Carousel, 07Apr2011, Brownstoner}
{Jane’s Carousel To Be in Brooklyn Bridge Park, 18Dec2009}
April 19th, 2011 at 8:26 am
not sure how crazy i am about the design, but glad progress is being made. can’t wait until this park is open again.
just to jog everyone’s memory: http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2010/05/janes_carousel_2.php
April 19th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Wow, they tore down those beautiful trees, and ruined that wonderful waterfront park to put up “Jane’s Carousel”?! (She named is after herself?) That is a nightmare of narcissism and entitlement. As someone who’s been in the hood for 12+ years — that park has (had?) a special place in my heart. I remember watching all the picnics and birthday parties on the benches beneath those willow trees. Now it’ll be loud music, food vendors and Bridge and Tunnelers with their kids. Great job, Jane. Can’t wait to see what your next pet project will be.
April 19th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Yeah… well said RJmacready. I didn’t know a carousel was going there. Those willow trees were so pretty. How sad…
April 19th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
This is the most obnoxious “development” I’ve seen in recent years. I can’t believe that this quiet, idyllic spot– one of the few serene places in NYC– is being defiled like this. But hey, what did I expect in our ADD-afflicted, adrenaline junkie society? Nature is too quiet and “boring”; gotta sex it up somehow!
April 19th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
This is Walentas trying to distract everyone while he sodomizes the nabe with his Dock Street project. How about you erect the carousel on the site of Dock Street instead, Dave?
April 19th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I think they’re gonna need more construction equipment. Judas priest what are they building there, another Brooklyn Bridge?
April 19th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Wasn’t this federal land a few years ago? Last I checked you can’t turn federal land (former or current) into a private Disneyland. Who wants to sue their ass? I better get every ride on that carousel for free or I’m calling my lawyer.
April 19th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
maybe they will charge a fee for Jane’s next project… will she cry when it’s first vandalized?
April 20th, 2011 at 12:06 am
Disgusting…
This park was so beautiful. That Carousel has NOTHING to do with Brooklyn. It is purely a rich lady’s hobby.
They could not even have enough class to have a Brooklyn designer do the ugly housing!
Seriously? Our tax dollars will have to pay to maintain this crap.
Disgusting…
April 20th, 2011 at 12:49 am
I wonder how well the carousel equipment handles salt water, based on the flooding that happened in the Main St portion of the park this weekend.
I can see it now: “no one could foresee flooding along the tidal East River.”
April 20th, 2011 at 3:12 am
HOW SAD! Those beautiful willow trees and the little hill for picnics… I often wonder who is allowed to make those decisions… Clearly they have no taste. It has changed Dumbo forever. Not good at all. Time to move out of this place.
April 20th, 2011 at 4:15 am
I do wonder, in light of the dispute over the Tobacco Warehouse, if all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed with the placement of the carousel in the public park.
April 20th, 2011 at 5:28 am
Notice that everyone posting here is negative and whining about a tree in Brooklyn? You people are all complete idiots and would probably complain if you won the lottery because that is all you know how to do. You think they are not going to plant a few trees? You think there will be no more picnics and birthday parties in the park? Oh, no… the park is RUINED now for children and families cause someone put in a goddam historic antique carousel where a tree was. What a joke you all are. Go be miserable all you want, just keep it to you miserable selves.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
…and the representative from the alt.pave.the.earth society shows up.
April 20th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
…only an idiot thinks he’s anonymous on the internet.
April 20th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
For those who don’t like the carousel, just don’t go to the park. I also miss the park, and the trees, but they needed to put some work into the drainage and who knows, the finished product may look great.
April 20th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I think being saddened by the loss of trees is not whining not=r negative. Maybe if you feel so angry you should not read this blog. You seem comments are negative and sound like whining to me.
April 20th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
While the removal of the trees are unfortunate (I posted about this last year), the park is still a work in progress (obviously). The park improvements include – an extension of the park lawn to the south, stormwater retention tanks to irrigate the park, park furnishings, lighting, and drainage improvements.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but please be courteous. (for those who asked (who suspected a handful of these comments are from one disgruntled neighbor), the commenters are different people (at least the IP addresses are different)).
April 20th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
What are you people complaining about… I still see the giant willow tree there. If you hate it so much, don’t bring your spoiled brats to the carousel when its completed. I’m for anything that will keep my property values up.
April 20th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
The only person who sounds “miserable” is you; as far as I can tell, you’re the only commenter here who’s expressing himself in a belligerent, snide, sarcastic fashion, and you’re the only one here who’s attacking other posters as being “idiots” and “whiners.”
And you’re calling everyone else “miserable?” Physician, heal thyself! Or better yet, take the beam out of your own eye before plucking the splinter out of everyone else’s!
April 20th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
e.p.c. It’d be really cool if it floated away. A carousel floating down the East River would be a wonderfully surreal image to behold.
April 20th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
For a period of almost 50 years from about 1880 to the Depression Brooklyn was the center of carousel carving. The different shops employed people that came from all over Europe bringing with them their skills and aristry that they learned in their homeland. Let’s hope this continues to flourish with future generations.
April 20th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
Jane bring your beautiful carousel to Massachusetts! You did a great job restoring it. Boston is going to install a new carousel…wish it was yours instread!
April 21st, 2011 at 3:32 pm
The carousel is “Jane’s” because it is referred to that way in the carousel community. It was saved by Jane Walentas at auction where it was to be sold off in parts. When it opens, I hope you will all bring your friends and families for a ride on this magnificant historic addition to NYC.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:30 pm
more tourist ! GREAT !!!
April 21st, 2011 at 6:18 pm
There are still some beautiful antique carousels available, you should try to inquire about them
April 21st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Rioght on!
April 21st, 2011 at 7:12 pm
I’m sure the rent subsidized artist living in dumbo for 15 years hates more tourists, but as a condo-owing Yuppie, tourists = good property value.
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:57 am
It’s all about distraction from Dock Street. Man, I wish Walentas was taller and his d*ck was bigger so we could all get a break from his Napoleonic bullsh*t.
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:59 am
Carousel Community? hahahahahahah
April 22nd, 2011 at 5:02 am
The willow tree “fell down”…fricking evil Walentas
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm
The park certainly needed upgrading. I for one welcome this and can’t wait to have my daughter ride it. She loves those horsies.
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Incidentially the beautiful antique carousels in Prospect Park, Central Park and Flushing Meadows were all carved in Brooklyn over a 100 years ago. Let’s keep this tradition going for at least another 100 years
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Get thee to a nunnery!
April 27th, 2011 at 2:50 am
Jane, your slip is showing.
April 28th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Dumb dude is more like it
April 28th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
[...] Carousel is being disassembled at 56 Water Street to prepare for its new home at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Thank you to the readers who sent in their photos or added to the DumboNYC Flickr page. Below are [...]
April 28th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Will the shadows cast by the Walentas’ enormous eyesore Dock Street chill the little ‘uns waiting in line to ride on the carousel? Just wondering.
April 28th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Oh, snap! Jane.
April 29th, 2011 at 4:03 am
Walentas’ legacy won’t be the damn carousel, it will be Dock Street smack up against the Brooklyn Bridge. Shame on them.
April 29th, 2011 at 4:06 am
Get thee back to Two Trees Farms
April 30th, 2011 at 1:07 am
Two trees is better than none
April 30th, 2011 at 1:12 am
I think you already snapped
November 13th, 2011 at 10:24 am
I recently visited Jane’s Carousel while in NYC. I am from Youngstown and the former home of this carousel was in my “backyard”. I grew up listening to the sounds of that carousel and was also able to see the lighted top from my 3rd floor bedroom window. Visiting the carousel brought back such fond memories, although i would of loved to see the carousel restored and continue to operate in Youngstown, that did not happen but i am so happy that Ms Walentas took on this restoration and my hopes is that people in NYC will enjoy the carousel as much as we did here in Youngstown. Thank You Ms Walentas.
November 17th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Please take it back
November 17th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Every day I wonder why they didn’t house this thing in a contextually appropriate and aesthetically pleasing brick structure- to retain the period feel of the park and the Empire Stores and Tobacco Warehouse, and to lessen the distraction from the beautiful bridge. Instead they make this big glass box, lit up at night, marring the perfect view and stealing charm from the park. The most famous carousels in the country (like the beautiful Flying Horses on Martha’s Vineyard) are in lovely old structures- you see the beauty of the carousel when you step inside. The modern glass box is a bad idea and seems to me very tacky and unnecessarily gaudy. This could have been a very cool, very low key, very lovely addition to the park. As it is it’s a bit of an eyesore, sorry to say.
November 20th, 2011 at 11:19 am
For what its worth, as a resident of Dumbo without little kids, I like how they did it.