Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Tijuana Update?

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Nothing much seems to have been written about trips to Tijuana in the last year or so? Is at still unsafe to do a day trip (walking) ? Have been many years ago, want to take adult son this time, if OK. Thanks in anticipation.

There have been LOTS of questions about TJ (mostly in threads about San Diego)

The answers don't change -- DO NOT go to Tijuana.

It is basically a hellhole.

I love the country of Mexico, but Tijuana is no place I'd want to visit myself. Especially not now.

Is there some reason you particularly want to visit? From any recent reports I have read it sounds horrible. Even people who used to like to go often (as daytrips from southern California) don't go anymore.

Not only is it unsafe, but it isn't any good for shopping anymore. I grew up going to TJ all the time, but quit about 5 years ago. Others I know also swore off.

If you feel you MUST go into Mexico, buy travel insurance and drive the 60 or so miles down to Ensenada.

Why is this thead tagged for California since miserable and dangerous Tiguana is in Mexico? Anyway, no I would no longer go to Tiguana.

LI, I'm guessing it's because most tourists would go into Tijuana as a day trip from California.

Lee Ann

I visited Tijuana last Labor Day and will be going over the New Year's holiday this year. I am going to visit friends (and staying at their house). I had a great time when I went last year and anticipate a great time again. That being said, I would not go there just to stroll around. I hate to say that because the local economy could really use some more tourists.

I wouldn't drive down to Ensenada either.

I didn't realize Tijuana was in California... or is it? ;)

You'd get the same answers if you posted the question on the Mexico forum. Not so much a resounding "no" but more a "why would you want to?"

"I didn't realize Tijuana was in California... or is it? ;)"

Yes, it's in Baja California.

Obviously, the poster above is working hard to improve Tijuana's image, but I'd still recommend you skip Tijuana, Carrabella.

"we have had to suffer a bad reputation because of our visitors' lack of sophistication...."

I think Tijuana had (and continues to have) a bad reputation because the central tourist area is a dirty center ( and certainly a third rate hellhole) of tacky souvenir shopswith aggressive vendors, liquor stores, bars and girly clubs. Tijuana spent the last hundred years marketing itself as a place where you could partake of all the vices illegal in California. Tourists came despite the filth and corruption; now that it is dangerous as well, why bother?

Interesting that Tijuana hopes to attract "sophisticated tourists" interested in medicine, and high-tech industry. I have yet to meet a traveler seeking out "high-tech industry" as part of a daytrip!.

Well, while i was writing my message, the poster I quoted (The_real_Tijuana) had their post removed. So, please ignore all but my first line, carrabella!

I wonder if the poster, or the forum editors, removed that *glowing* review highly recommending a trip to Tijuana????

The missing post must have been taken down by the forum editors, although no reason has been offered.

The post, which hardly deserves being described as a glowing review, contained three links, one to a bus service that would help orient Carrabella to the city and two to items in our blog, which deals non-commercially with tourism in northern Baja California.

If the issue comes from Fodors ToS, it is ironic that almost all the remaining posts are inflammatory and offensive to those of us who live in Tijuana. The authors of those insulting posts admit they know nothing of the city. How can one review something one has not experienced?

Al Gore and Jimmy Wales were among thousands of people who showed up last month on day-trips for high-tech industry.

"The authors of those insulting posts admit they know nothing of the city. How can one review something one has not experienced?"

That is quite a leap IMO. What makes you think the posters know nothing of the city? I stand by my first post.

"Al Gore and Jimmy Wales were among thousands of people who showed up last month on day-trips" Al is having his own 'personal' problems here in the States and is keeping a really low profile :D And I doubt they had to fight the delays and mess at the border crossing.

(You other post was probably pulled because it looked like commercial advertising.)

Asks janis,
> What makes you think the posters know nothing of the city?

Because those who aren't referring to third-hand accounts or offering erroneous descriptions of the place are telling us they don't come here anymore or they haven't been here in more than five years. People acquire knowledge from current, first-hand experience, not from repeating unfounded prejudices. Only tom42 has offered a first-hand account.

Take lcuy's comment as an example:
> the central tourist area is a dirty center ( and certainly
> a third rate hellhole)
Lcuy is probably talking about Avenida Revolución in the Zona Centro but it is clear that he/she has not seen La Revu in ages. The words are more defamatory than descriptive.
> of tacky souvenir shopswith aggressive vendors, liquor
> stores, bars and girly clubs.
The tacky souvenirs are mostly in Plaza Viva Tijuana, a kilometer northeast of La Revu. The aggressive vendors, who were sent to us by California(!), are likewise being squeezed out to PVT by the shopowners' association, which prohibits its members from employing aggressive tactics. Liquor stores on La Revu now specialize in super-premium tequilas and other rare items. The bars on La Revu are mostly closed now that the "two-bit tourists" don't come; there is, on the other hand, an interesting cultural development on Sixth Street, about five dozen bars of different artistic temperaments all aimed at local patronage (google 'La Sexta Tijuana'). The girlie bars are in La Coahuila, a section of the Zona Norte to the northwest of La Revu.
> Tijuana spent the last hundred years marketing itself
> as a place where you could partake of all the vices
> illegal in California.
Tijuana has never marketed itself as such. On the contrary, the local commonwealth has been ashamed by this aspect of the city; only individual businessmen have resorted to such marketing. The dens of iniquity were originally owned and operated by U.S. citizens who took advantage of the prohibitions on drinking and gambling instituted in California in 1909. Our first prostitutes were imported from Los Angeles. On the other hand, Tijuana did market itself as a health resort as early as 1870.
> Tourists came despite the filth and corruption; now that
> it is dangerous as well, why bother?
The same could be said of Los Angeles or New York City, so lcuy's unqualified indictment adds nothing to our understanding of Tijuana.

(back to janis)
> Al [Gore] is having his own 'personal' problems here in the States

You first said you knew of no one who came here for high-tech industry. An ad-hominem attack on Mr Gore does not dismiss the fact that he was one of many who did just that. I'd give you a link to substantiate but it seems URLs get posts deleted, so just google 'Tijuana Innovadora'.

Now let's see if we can't answer Carrabella without being censored.

It has not ever been unsafe to take a walking trip of Tijuana. People do that all the time. There's even an official walking-trip map.

There's a tourist bus that makes a circuit of the central part of the city. You can get off it to walk around a neighborhood and then get back on it two hours later to continue the tour.

There's a blog that deals specifically with the new tourism for Baja. Lots of useful information there.

There is no reason to fear Tijuana. Those of us who live here witness drug-related violence only on television and in the newspapers.

Day-trips do not do any part of Mexico justice. Real Mexican culture does not get in your face: you have to give it time to unfold itself. Try to spend several days, if possible, especially if you want to hang out in La Sexta.

"(back to janis) . . . You first said you knew of no one who came here for high-tech industry."

Huh ??? -- I have never mentioned anything about high tech industry - on any thread -- ever