Tijuana, BCN, Mexico (and a touch of Ensenada)

[tigeruppercut]

Tijuana Thread

Not sure if I've seen a thread here about my favourite border town in North America, but here's another one! These are taken all within the span of a year on different trips over.

For musical accompaniment I present to you:
• Video Link


DSC_0304 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0010 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0628 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0578 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0577 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0658 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0947 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0138 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0045 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0272 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0545 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0043 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0275 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0309 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0575 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0288 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0062 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0323 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Not sure what the actual donkey show is, but these lovely zebra painted donkeys make lovely street scenery

DSC_0342 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
New PedWest Border crossing which is a LIFESAVER compared to the old crossing

DSC_0019 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0333 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0580 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0549 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0325 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Brand New Rapid Bus Line station!

DSC_0004 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Malecon de Tijuana

DSC_0034 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
How to stay cool on said Malecon

DSC_0341 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0002 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0262 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0274 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0255 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Zona Rio & the Tijuana River

DSC_0101 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1008 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0918 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0310 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0314 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0966 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0550 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0943 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0631 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
This is quite possibly the largest flag I have ever seen!

DSC_0610 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0334 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0566 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0299 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0146 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Prom Season Tijuana style

DSC_0572 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
Working hard or hardly working?

DSC_0073 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1004 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0624 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr
El Malecon in Ensenada

DSC_0291 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0266 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0337 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0338 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0305 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0293 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0978 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0317 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0257 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1021 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1014 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0573 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0091 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0961 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0047 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0018 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1000 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0901 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_0633 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

DSC_1023 by Jarrel Lyon, on Flickr

[Ex-Ithacan]

First of all, thanks for the tour. Quite a place. I'll refrain from commenting on the donkey show. But I would like to know what is up with this guy?:



btw, welcome to SSP.

[SLO]

Just as I remember!, Id like to see some of the new development areas, I did see some by Rosarita a few weeks back. They just need a little development help, its essentially the same coastline as San Diego. Maybe some sewage treatment too....

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Looking just all right, but media never give good vibes.

[tigeruppercut]

Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan

First of all, thanks for the tour. Quite a place. I'll refrain from commenting on the donkey show. But I would like to know what is up with this guy?:



btw, welcome to SSP.

Thanks for the welcome 👍🏽👍🏽

I think he was just taking a light snooze. It was pretty hot that day

[subterranean]

Colorful. I wonder if when Mexicans come to the US, they think it's boring giveb the lack of vibrant colors.

[Prahaboheme]

Originally Posted by SLO

Just as I remember!, Id like to see some of the new development areas, I did see some by Rosarita a few weeks back. They just need a little development help, its essentially the same coastline as San Diego. Maybe some sewage treatment too....

Just a little development? That's quite an understatement.

[mello]

Love seeing Tijuana on here Great job Jerrel. The city is really coming around, now that the economy is a bit better and the population keeps increasing the traffic is unfortunately getting little rough. I will have to check out the Pedwest crossing for sure. For those visiting San Diego you must go try some of the very inventive cuisine that has popped up in TJ/Ensenada it is really impressive. Anthony Bourdain raves about it and the NY and LA times has written about it as well.

[Paex]

Cool pics. TJ is not the prettiest city, but the food is outstanding. My wife and I are also big fans of Baja's wine country.

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures! I've been interested in going to Tijuana ever since I was in San Diego in 2009. Is it safe there to walk around the main neighborhoods?

[spoonman]

^I believe there are opposing opinions. Probably depends who you ask. Could also depend on your comfort level, who you are with, appearance/dress, etc.

Tijuana has made a lot of great strides, but the fact remains that there were 910 murders in 2016 and were already 411 in the first quarter of 2017. There were 762 last year in Chicago, for perspective. Like in Chicago though, much of these murders are in certain areas and often involves gang activity. Huge numbers nonetheless.

[mello]

Tijuana is very safe. I have walked around the city quite a bit with no problems. The only time it would be unsafe is if you are walking around visibly drunk stumbling around making yourself an obvious target. If you are calm and simply acting like a normal classy person you will not have any issues. If you guys have any questions about the city feel free to send me a pm.

[tigeruppercut]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures! I've been interested in going to Tijuana ever since I was in San Diego in 2009. Is it safe there to walk around the main neighborhoods?

I've been in all the main neighborhoods (playas, zona rio and revolucion) plenty of times and never had a problem. yes there are bad neighborhoods, but if you don't go looking for trouble chances are it won't find you.

[tigeruppercut]

Originally Posted by mello

Love seeing Tijuana on here Great job Jerrel. The city is really coming around, now that the economy is a bit better and the population keeps increasing the traffic is unfortunately getting little rough. I will have to check out the Pedwest crossing for sure. For those visiting San Diego you must go try some of the very inventive cuisine that has popped up in TJ/Ensenada it is really impressive. Anthony Bourdain raves about it and the NY and LA times has written about it as well.

Thanks! And yup, the food scene is absolutely amazing! There's a food truck park full of all kinds of strange 'only in Tijuana' mashups on Agua Caliente close to zona rio as well as for lack of better words, interesting chinese food all over the city

[IMBY]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures! I've been interested in going to Tijuana ever since I was in San Diego in 2009. Is it safe there to walk around the main neighborhoods?

3 weeks ago I made my 83rd or 84th trip to Tijuana, from Las Vegas, and, there have been times, I've spent a long weekend just in TJ itself, out walking about, all alone, through the Zona Norte (red light) district and I've never been scared for a minute. No one will believe me, I don't expect them to, but I feel even safer walking around Tijuana Centro at night than Las Vegas.

What's really fun, if you're adventuresome, is to hop on one of those old school buses, used for public transportation, and just ride it to the very end, no matter where it ends up, as the bus must return to Centro, sooner or later.

How you project yourself is ultra-important, show no fear whatsoever wherever you may be, even though you may feel afraid.

What a blessed contrast to the sterility of San Diego!

I've been wanting to rent a car with a camera and do a photo session of "poor man's San Francisco", as I call Tijuana, but I don't think I could top this, except I'd have San Diegoans drooling over the pictures I'd take from the highest hills there, with sweeping views of downtown San Diego!

I've traveled all over the world, particularly to 3rd world countries/cities, and Tijuana remains on my Top 5 Cites I've enjoyed in the world. As for the cleaner, sterile cities?

[IMBY]

Originally Posted by subterranean

Colorful. I wonder if when Mexicans come to the US, they think it's boring giveb the lack of vibrant colors.

Over the years I've traveled to TJ, I met someone, once, who held a passport/visa, and has never used it to travel to the U.S., simply not interested, not even across the Border to San Diego! He'd prefer to vacation in Spain or Central/South America.

I do know there are those who go across the Border to buy groceries, as they can be cheaper. Go check out the prices at a Calimax or Gigante Grocery store some time and you'll be shocked at the prices! And then you wonder what do the poor eat down there??????

I've checked out grocery stores all over Central America as well, and I'm shocked at the prices, but I must stop and think, the U.S. is a rich country and they can well-afford to do massive agricultural subsidies, whereas these countries are not in that position to do that!

I once entered a Wal-Mart in Mexico, out of curiosity, to see if the prices were the same for items I bought at a Wal-Mart in the U.S. and I was surprised to see the prices higher for the same goods. But Mexico has stiffer rules on imports, perhaps that's the reason.