Elevated
Living,Shaker It’s a word-nerd’s dream: Each day, retirees Kate and Richard Pietro
tackle the New York Times online game Spelling Bee in their sitting room,
aka “The Beehive.” After maxing out their individual efforts to find every
word hidden in the puzzle, they join forces. Is today another day the puzzle
masters can collectively reach Queen Bee status? Usually, the answer is yes.
After 35 years in a single-family home on Braemar Road, the Pietros
found themselves ready to look for their next home. Their sons, John
and Anthony, had grown up in the Braemar house, graduated from
An empty-nest couple
Shaker schools, and were living in their own homes. It felt like time to
trades their long-time
downsize – or at least downsize their home maintenance, if not square
family home for a Van
footage – and enjoy a new kind of Shaker experience.
Aken Boulevard condo.
They found it in a handsome, light-filled condominium on the fifth floor
of The Diplomat on Van Aken Boulevard. Their single-floor, three-bedroom
condo combines spacious open floor plan living with cozy, intimate spots
By Sharon Holbrook
Photography by Kevin Reeves
to settle in for a little yoga, music-making, and, yes, puzzling. WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | SUMMER 2022 35
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