Kristen Londono brought the sun with her from Florida.
The 27-year-old Colorado native moved to Steel City from Orlando in the summer of 2009, and wasted no time opening Pilates Sol, Downtown's only "pure Pilates studio" (sol is Spanish for sun). The studio, which offers private, semi-private and small group mat classes, opened mid-January in a 300-square-foot space at 900 Penn Ave., in the heart of the Cultural District.
Londono is a certified Pilates instructor who worked at studios in both Shadyside and Mt. Lebanon before opening her own place. She graduated with a degree in technical journalism and worked for awhile in public relations, but around the age of 25, she discovered Pilates as a cure to her back problems, got hooked, and has made it her life ever since.
Londono moved to Pittsburgh when her husband took a job in premium seating with the Pirates. The young couple decided to live Downtown to be close to PNC Park (they sold one of their cars, and get around mostly by walking), so it made sense for Londono to open her studio Downtown, too.
"Downtown was the perfect place to open a Pilates studio. It's an untapped market," says Londono. "There are lots of gyms down here, but this is the first studio that focuses exclusively on Pilates. There are a lot of people who live Downtown, and I believe that city-livers are more active--they walk and jog and ride bikes on weekends. Pilates is definitely something they can add to their regime. And it's really appropriate for any age or fitness level."
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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Kristen Londono, Pilates Sol
Photograph courtesy of Pilates Sol