長男が誕生した頃、若者やアーティストに人気のソーホーに住む機会があった。
学校や病院が少なくて、ベビーカーを引けない石畳、夜中までの喧騒が、
子育てにはあまりにも不向きだと、たくさんの人にアドバイスをきいてまわった。
評判の良い公立校、信頼できる小児科医、老人と子供が多い快適な居住区。
それが約18年を過ごしたアッパーイーストサイド地区だった。
日中は子供たちの声が響き渡り、家族がのんびり過ごす、良くも悪くも、
刺激がほとんどない、平穏な空気が流れるエリアの代表といえるだろう。
セントラルパークを闊歩する人で溢れる街も、日が沈むと静寂が広がる。
それぞれがビルの中で生活し、人通りもほとんどなくなるから、
浮き沈みの激しい飲食業界でも、地元に愛される「老舗」のみが健在している。
昨秋、私たちがミッドタウンに引っ越す直前くらいにオープンした店があった。
工事中の様子を遠目に見ていたけれど、結局足を運ぶ機会がないままだった。
コロナ禍にメキシコに移住した親友がニューヨーク再訪の折に、
「週末は穴場」だと誘ってくれたのが、ここ「TOKUGAWA」という寿司レストラン。
満面の笑みで迎えてくれたシェフが、ここに至るまでのストーリーを語りながら、
新鮮なネタを次々と握ってくれる、大満足の一夜。
かつては、長いこと地元に愛されていた和食店がいくつかあったけれど、
オーナーの高齢化や家賃の高騰で、いずれも撤退してずいぶん経ってしまった。
またここから地元に愛される店の歴史が始まると思うと、ワクワクする。
日本食と日本人シェフは、コロナ禍を経て、ますます需要が高まっている。
When my first son was born, we had the opportunity to live in Soho, a popular neighborhood for young people and artists.
There were few schools or hospitals, cobblestones where you couldn't pull a stroller, and hustle and bustle until midnight,
I asked for advice from many people who told me it was unsuitable for raising a child.
I was told the city had a lot to offer: reputable public schools, reliable pediatricians, and pleasant residential neighborhoods with many elderly people and children.
That was the Upper East Side neighborhood where we spent about 18 years.
During the day, children's voices echoed through the air, and families took it easy, for better or worse,
It can be said to represent an area with little stimulation and an air of peace and tranquility.
The city is filled with people strolling through Central Park, but silence prevails once the sun goes down.
This is because people live in their buildings, and the streets are almost empty,
Even in the restaurant industry, which has seen its ups and downs, only the "long-established" establishments loved by the locals are still going strong.
A restaurant opened last fall, just before we moved to Midtown.
I had seen it under construction from afar but never got a chance to visit it.
One of my best friends, who moved to Mexico after the COVID-19 pandemic, invited me to a sushi restaurant called "TOKUGAWA" on her return visit to New York, saying that it was "the best place to go on weekends."
The chef, who greeted us with a big smile, told us how he came to be here and served us fresh fish one after another, making for a very satisfying evening.
There used to be several Japanese restaurants that the locals had long loved.
However, they have long since closed due to aging owners and skyrocketing rents.
It is exciting to think that the history of these beloved local restaurants will begin here again.
Again, Japanese food and chefs are in increasing demand after the COVID-19 pandemic.
