Cool story in the L.A. Times entitled Tijuana's Getting Its Groove Back, about Tijuana feeling safer now that a big crime boss was arrested. The article mentions upscale restaurants Cheripan and La Querencia, which we visited on our Tijuana crawl last summer, as well as La Mezcalera, the groovy mescal bar. What are you waiting for? Check out the restaurants and seafood trucks of Tijuana and Ensenada before it gets muy caliente.
I'm glad to hear it's getting safer!
ReplyDeleteAw, hell, Tijuana never left. It's been growing while you've been away, yes, but it's been growing away from its dependence on gringo tourism.
ReplyDeleteThere might be as many as three dozen blogs from Tijuana that deal with the cool and the cultural around here, the underlying attitude being that we've become cosmopolitan without relying on foreign tourism to do so. The Real Tijuana is the only indigenous blog to deal with these subjects in English. That difference presents a complete about-face in the marketing posture that was in effect before all the Bush Troubles.
As to getting safer, well, we've always been safer than, say, New Orleans or Columbine High School.
True story, from a blog just last week:
San Franciscan: "I go to Tijuana every chance I get."
Bloggeur: "But isn't that dangerous?"
San Franciscan: "Yes, I have to drive through Los Angeles."
I agree with "The Real Tijuana"- Tijuana has been growing and has been cool and cosmopolitan for a while. A few blocks away from gringo-magnet revolucion were the coolest, hippest bars comparable to places in Mexico City and even Europe.
ReplyDeleteTourism not coming to Tijuana has probably been the best thing to happen to the city- it is re-vamping those areas for locals and its coolness is just growing with a spread of fun art, fashion, & music...
When I have taken Americans to these places they are in shock and awe because they have never heard of this scene...one friend said the vibe and hippness is comparable to home-SF.
Hey Pat, what a doll you are for always helping to spread the good news about Tijuana.
ReplyDeleteTo The Real Tijuana and Marcio. Pat was sharing an article from the LA Times, that's all. It's not HER article, and if you look around Eating LA, there are excellent food reviews from Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe.I believe she's trying to encourage those still with fear that they should go.
Columbine? New Orleans? You know, I agree the fear of Tijuana is completely irrational and false, but using Columbine as a comparison is just showing that you are just as uninformed and naive as a frightened "gringo."
Not all tourists are gringo tourists, and wow, I don't think you quite understand the meaning of the word comopolitan.
"As to getting safer, well, we've always been safer than, say, New Orleans or Columbine High School."
ReplyDeleteNot true. Tijuana is 'statistically' twice as high for murder as New Orleans is, and we know it's higher because of the disappearances which aren't counted.
"True story, from a blog just last week:
San Franciscan: "I go to Tijuana every chance I get."
Bloggeur: "But isn't that dangerous?"
San Franciscan: "Yes, I have to drive through Los Angeles."
This would be funny, apart from the fact that Tijuana is many times more dangerous than Los Angeles.
I'm not sure why people are so ready to lash out at US cities. On top of that, 2010 was Tijuana's deadliest year on record.