The Bittersweet Tale of a Diner, a Toy Shop and a Changing New York
One is expanding. One is closing. But not all is lost.
Pamela Pier, the owner of Dinosaur Hill, has worked next to Tom Birchard, left, and his son Jason, right, the owners of Veselka, since 1983.Credit.James Estrin/The New York Times
By Linda Dyett
Dec. 11, 2020
Over time, certain city blocks become niche shopping and dining hubs, destinations that are quintessentially New York, marked by local history and personalities, while defining the broader neighborhood.
Consider the southeast corner of Second Avenue and East Ninth Street in the East Village in Manhattan. There, an unassuming oblong building has long been home to two neighborhood stalwarts: the whimsical toy shop Dinosaur Hill and its next-door neighbor, the Ukrainian restaurant Veselka.