Foreign Policy Blogs

The Other Side of Tijuana

After a recent post on Mexico's fight against AIDS in Tijuana, I wanted to explore the other, brighter side of the city.  An article in today's NY Times titled “It's Hot. It's Hip. It's Tijuana?” reveals a different side of Tijuana than the main drag, Avenida Revolucion, which is much of the source of Tijuana's seedier reputation.  Walk a few blocks, explains William L. Hamilton, and you encounter the beginning of the area's new “Baja cuisine” movement, lined with upscale eateries (featuring local ingredients, such as manta rays), bars, and boutie hotels, not to mention a planetarium and cultural center.

Pictured below: La Querencia restaurant, known for its boar tacos (yes, boar) and scallop ceviche

The Other Side of Tijuana

With over 60 million border crossings each year, this part of the city is aiming to become more of a destination, rather than a thoroughfare.  Read the full article for more information.

The Other Side of Tijuana

Art displayed on the border fence between Mexico and the U.S.

 

Author

Michael Coe

Mike is pursuing his MA in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. Prior to his graduate studies, Mike completed his BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has traveled throughout Latin America, and researched NAFTA's effects on Mexican agriculture and migration. When not reading the news Mike enjoys travelling, skiing, mountain biking, and drinking yerba maté.