Catmomma

My husband and I are planning a trip to San Diego at the end of July.

We were going to go shopping one day in Tiajuana for blown glass, wrought iron drawer pulls, and faux antique pottery. Several on this post advised going to Rosarita instead.

Here are my concerns:

1) Don't mind wild Tiajuana hub-bub. That's part of what makes it interesting to me.
2) However, husband would probably prefer something more scenic & less crowded.
3) Do like best deals.
4) Do like best quality.
5) Do want to make the most of my time shopping till dropping.
6) Don't want to drive in Mx.
7) Don't want to pay as much getting there as I would save in bargains.

What should we do?

Any advice on particular shops to hit?

Thank you.

Chele60

I would stick with Tijuana. Rosarito USED to be more scenic and less crowded - back in the 80s. Then it was simply the place one passed on the way to Ensenada. Now, it's just an overdelevoped tourist racket.

Tijuana is closer to the border, and depending on where you go, you might not even need to drive. It has all the shops, and maybe more, and everyone in Mexico barters. (Except in the major shopping malls) As for quality, I don't think you would find much of that in Rosarito.

TxTravelPro

I second Chele60.
Odds are you will not find anything worth the hassle of getting there.
I think the native pottery selection is better outside of TJ but maybe I just have not been to the right places.
Also be sure to shop in San Diego. Some of the best Mexican stuff I have I bought in the US. Since I never seem to spend much in one place, I don't get great deals. When I go to TJ I have a friend who lives there haggle with the vendors. I don't do bad but I think I have had great deals in the US, too.

lizzard

cab fare to rosarito is about $20 one way. there's a bus depot right across the border that will take you to ensenada for about 5$ so i can't imagine rosarito would be more than a few bucks. i think anything's more scenic than tj. as far as rosarito being an overdeveloped tourist area now, who knows. but as someone who has been traveling to points south of my native san diego all my life, anywhere within 100 miles of the border is going to have a similar vibe (a hustling, bustling, border town).

Catmomma

Thank you all for this input. I may go with my original instinct which was to stay in Tiajuana. I've been to Ensenada once, and it seemed not too different from a border town---lots of street vendors, name on a grain of rice, lots of people, same stuff for sale---with a little nicer background.

I wasn't wanting to spend time driving this time---but would do it if I felt it would be really worth it.

So, any other recommendations on specific shops that I should hit for blown glassware, pottery, or wrought iron drawer & cabinet pulls?