Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
According to a recent article in the S.D. Reader, Tijuana is on pace to set a new high in total number of homicides in 2017. After several years of relative calm it seems the last few years the homicide rate has increased to levels not seen since the bleak 2007 to 2010 period.
According to the article,"Through the first week of July in Tijuana there was a total of 793 murders in the city and a total of 1,023 in the state of Baja for the course of the year. Most murders are associated with rival narcos disputing over territory killing either by gunshot wounds, strangulations, decapitations, or/and incinerations."
"The bloodiest two years in Tijuana’s history were 2009 with 1,118 and 2010 with 1,256 murders. This year is on its way to break that record. Tijuanenses yearn for calmer years like 2012, which had 312 murders."
Of course, the vast majority of the violence is drug/narco trade related. I get that but you still get concerned that something bad could happen.
I was there for a weekend in 2016 and stayed in the nice part of town. I had no issues. I have a few friends who want to go down for the weekend. Again, we'll stay in the nice part of the city and stay in the safe/nice areas. One of my friends is fluent in Spanish and I am conversational.
If we go, we would go to some nice restaurants and some nice higher end clubs (and drink responsibly). No drugs or prostitutes or anything near the red light district.
Any veteran T.J. travelers or residents have any insight to add?
Eat at Sanbornes on Avenido Revolution. Very good food with a drink. Large brick bldg on a corner...not to be confused with their smaller burger for tourists down the street. Upper middle class for a female companion/ date.
And how many American tourists get killed every year in Tijuana? Z-E-R-O!!! Just like in Chicago, they kill each other, gang type killings.
I've been going to Tijuana (83 trips since 1997) for 21 years now, I stay in Central (not the Americano section/Rio Zona), and I feel comfortable walking around the Zona Norte district, alone, yes alone, until 3-4-5am, and have never been mugged, robbed, not one unsafe incident to report. Afterall, I come from the country which likes to claim it's Home of the Brave!
And think! How does the media in Tijuana portray incidents outside Tijuana, like San Diego? Yup! Their chance to get even with the American media!
"Tijuana resident visiting San Diego gets robbed in downtown San Diego!"
"Tijuana resident was witness to the Massacre in Las Vegas last month, with 58 people killed, and 500 injured! She was so glad to return to safer Tijuana!"
I've been going to Tijuana (83 trips since 1997) for 21 years now, I stay in Central (not the Americano section/Rio Zona), and I feel comfortable walking around the Zona Norte district, alone, yes alone, until 3-4-5am, and have never been mugged, robbed, not one unsafe incident to report. Afterall, I come from the country which likes to claim it's Home of the Brave!
I honestly thought your number of trips was a made up figure, and thus was going to discount the validity of everything else you had to say, but...
given your screen name, I actually imagine you have a notebook that looks like this:
The increase in violence does have me a bit concerned. I will be honest, I got a little worried recently this last time as I sat at Las Ahumaderas taco stand and thought to myself, "God, I hope no one here owes any unpaid cartel debts that winds up getting the taco stand shot up". But I got the same paranoid thoughts waiting in the crowd for the Staten Island Ferry in NYC thinking, "Gosh, I hope no one here has a bomb and blows us up".
It's a real fear, just be mindfull of where you go and what you do, and you should be fine.
The increase in violence does have me a bit concerned. I will be honest, I got a little worried recently this last time as I sat at Las Ahumaderas taco stand and thought to myself, "God, I hope no one here owes any unpaid cartel debts that winds up getting the taco stand shot up". But I got the same paranoid thoughts waiting in the crowd for the Staten Island Ferry in NYC thinking, "Gosh, I hope no one here has a bomb and blows us up".
It's a real fear, just be mindfull of where you go and what you do, and you should be fine.
Yep, that is EXACTLY what I was thinking. I realize that tragic occurrence was a statistical outlier. Terribly tragic for that guy.
Still, I looked it up and the restaurant where that shooting occurred is only about 6 or 7 miles from the hotel we are planning to stay at (in the Zona Rio area).
When I first really discovered what Tijuana had to offer, and at the time, Southwest Airlines giving you a free flight for every 8 flights you took, I took 12 flights alone one year, and at the time I bought property in the south Tijuana hills to build a house, I was flying down often to consult with Arquimex, and there was the "shopping trips" to buy real estate, that accounts for a portion of it. And then there's the dental, medical and prescription trips, and trips for fun only.
Yep, that is EXACTLY what I was thinking. I realize that tragic occurrence was a statistical outlier. Terribly tragic for that guy.
Still, I looked it up and the restaurant where that shooting occurred is only about 6 or 7 miles from the hotel we are planning to stay at (in the Zona Rio area).
"Only" 6 or 7 miles? In only 10 miles you are pretty much out of Tijuana except heading east. It's not a very large city area wise and very densely populated compared to most American cities. If something happened within a mile maybe you would be worried, but 6 miles is far from concerning.
"Only" 6 or 7 miles? In only 10 miles you are pretty much out of Tijuana except heading east. It's not a very large city area wise and very densely populated compared to most American cities. If something happened within a mile maybe you would be worried, but 6 miles is far from concerning.
Yep, fair point.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
