Queens Apartment
Oasis

Photography: Bill Lyons/Metro

IF SOMETHING isn't broken, why fix it? That's Pamela Soto's attitude toward Sunnyside. She has moved back to the neighborhood three different times from Manhattan. This final time, two months ago, it was with her musician husband, John. The couple are what you might call "urban refugees."

Well-kept secret
And they haven't looked back.

"Living here we're so close to the city, I don't feel like I've left Manhattan," says John. For Pamela and John, who both have jobs at the 92nd Street YMCA, the commute is about 30 minutes from their house.

The one-bedroom apartment is classic Sunnyside — quiet and roomy. The walk to and from the 7 train explains why the neighborhood is one of those well-kept secrets. Virtually no litter clogs the sidewalk and friendly residents chat in passing. Pamela and John say they are pleasantly surprised at the number of great ethnic restaurants in the neighborhood.

They especially don't miss the crowdedness of Manhattan. "You can go to the grocery store and think about what you're going to buy without people running into you," says Pamela, as one example.

"Here you can tone it down a little bit," John says, about the slower pace of life. For John, who plays guitar with rock band Glass of Know, that's a change from their days in East Harlem. He would return late at night with guitars and amps and make a dash from taxi to apartment.

But life in Sunnyside is not perfect, though it's pretty close, according to the Sotos.

"The only problem is," Pamela says, "that cab drivers don't like going to Queens."

--CATHERINE NEW