Remembering Jane Walentas, first lady of DUMBO, creator of carousel, jewel between two bridges
“Bells should toll for Jane, our first lady of DUMBO.”
With those words, Susan Feldman, founding director of St. Ann’s Warehouse, captures the great sense of loss felt by so many people upon hearing the news that Jane Walentas died Sunday, July 5, in her home, following a recent fight with cancer.
Known in recent years for her restoration of the iconic carousel that breathed new life into the DUMBO waterfront, Jane Walentas had been a partner with her husband David in creating from industrial backwash the legendary and celebrated neighborhood that DUMBO eventually became.