   Marsha Sewell of Marsha Sewell and Associates, an interior design firm, says San Diego urbanites are finding ways to maximize their entertainment technologies with less square footage. (photo/lambertphoto.com)
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New residential construction in Downtown often features the latest in high-end appliances and materials. When you consider that the bulk of new buyers are young professionals, who tend to be both tech-savvy and inclined to telecommute, it makes sense that many of the newest Downtown condominiums also feature the latest in technology-friendly amenities. “The new developments that are coming online are either promoting wireless infrastructure or have easy plug-ins for the Internet,” says Centre City Development Corp. spokesman Derek Danziger.
A number of commercial buildings in Downtown began offering free Wi-Fi access points, called hotspots, in 2002 under the Bandwidth Bay initiative. The program, a joint effort of public and private entities including CCDC and the San Diego Economic Development Corp., is intended to promote business and tourism in the Downtown area. Since then, others have considered ways to make the wireless networking technology more accessible to Downtown-area residents. Wi-Fi makes sense for the high density that is typical to Downtown, as it enables multiple computers to share a single Internet connection over short distances.
The nonprofit SoCalFreeNet.org set up its first Wi-Fi network node in Little Italy, and has since expanded to nearby neighborhoods including Golden Hill, Sherman Heights, Normal Heights, and Barrio Logan.
But Downtown residents want to do more with their technology than surf the Internet. Marsha Sewell, of the interior design firm Marsha Sewell and Associates, says San Diego’s newest urbanites are finding ways to maximize their entertainment technologies with less square footage.
“Stereo and TV components are much smaller that they used to be, so they’re easier to hide,” she said. “You can bury speakers in nooks and crannies.”
While many homeowners opt to cut into the wall to hide the wires for their plasma TVs, the gadgets’ slim profile makes it possible to place them on a cabinet or build them into a bookcase, Sewell says. “TVs aren’t hidden away. Nobody does armoires anymore,” she says. “They don’t take up any room. You don’t need a 24-inch hole.”
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