Tijuana

By Dr. Crit Minster

Prohibition was the best thing to ever happen to Tijuana. A small, dusty town best known for a modest cattle ranching industry, the city was considered little more than a place to stay before or after crossing the U.S.—Mexico border. When the United States of America outlawed alcohol in 1919, the conveniently located Tijuana—only 15 miles from San Diego—cashed in. The city built casinos and bars and attracted countless tourists, including many prominent Hollywood movie stars. The city boomed.

The city of Tijuana has never completely shed its image as a place where visitors go to cut loose and have a good time, and the night life is as legendary as ever. La Coahuila, Tijuana’s notorious red-light district, continues to hop with after-dark activity. Although the tequila still flows like water, and you’re never far from a bar, the city has recently focused on adding activities that don’t involve drinking or late-night debauchery.

Jai-Alai, a ballgame that involves heavy betting, is a favorite, as are bullfights, dog races, cabarets and water sports on the nearby coast. In an attempt to lure a different class of tourist, the city has also added an amusement park and a number of golf courses. Even as a youthful hellion, the city attracted an international pool of shoppers: the city is a duty-free zone, so prices on many things are lower than they would be elsewhere. The city is also home to several artisan markets, where tourists pick through boxes and contemplate rows of hand-painted ceramics, finely carved wood and bright blankets. Shopaholics will love Avenida Revolución, famous for the countless tacky curio shops that line it. Those less inclined to shop-til-you-drop might want to head somewhere else. Bargaining is the norm so polish your negotiation skills before heading into the artisan jungle.

A grueling day of bargaining is sure to leave you famished; it’s a good thing that the cuisine of Tijuana is also noteworthy. Order a Caesar salad, if you’re a fan: according to local legend, it was invented here (as was the Margarita, so they say). The September 16 festival that marks Mexican Independence is a highlight.

Occasionally derided by visitors for not being “the real Mexico,” Tijuana has evolved a new, hybrid identity. With one foot in two worlds, Tijuana’s border personality is one of its greatest charms. It is a little known fact that many of Mexico’s best and most innovative artists and writers live and work in Tijuana. Their artistic energies are fed by the constant contact with and motion of the border.

Prohibition was repealed in 1933, but Tijuana never looked back. More than just a place to get a cold drink, the city is now selling itself, the mixed-blood offspring of the U.S.A. and Mexico, alive and thriving on the busiest border in the world.

V!VA User‘s Description