A Tale of Two Tijuanas: Foodie Capital & Murder Capital

Two days ago, while I was enjoying elevated food trucks and craft beer with a date in Tijuana, Mexico, news articles were reporting that the city is now not only the murder capital of Mexico, but the most violent city in the world. 

It’s a weird juxtaposition that is aptly captured by the title of a recent Vice article, Tijuana’s Tourism is Booming Even as the Homicide Rate Spikes.  It’s almost as if there are two very different Tijuanas that exist simultaneously.

TIJUANA #1: A CITY PLAGUED BY VIOLENCE

In 2016, Tijuana saw 960 homicides, a record at the time.  2017 bested that record with 1,744 homicides. The record breaking trend continued in 2018, with over 2,500 homicides (140 per 100,000 people), Tijuana’s deadliest year to date.  By comparison, San Diego, California, USA, the other side of the border where I reside, saw 34 total homicides in 2018 (2 per 100,000 people).

Despite law enforcement’s promises,  so far, 2019 is not shaping up to be the year that ends the deadly trend in Tijuana.  By January 17, there were already 127 murders reported in Tijuana and by one account, that number rose to 218 homicides by the end of January.

Mexican officials and news reports attribute the rise in violence to drug-related turf wars.  In fact, according to Mexican officials, over 90% of Tijuana’s homicides are linked to the drug trade.  Yet, at least one journalist has cautioned against attributing all of Tijuana’s rising violence to drugs.

The current violence has been frequently contrasted to another one of Tijuana’s violent periods, the cartel wars of the late 2000s.  During that time, large cartels feuding over access to the US border who embraced showy, public displays of violence to invoke fear. Neither wealthy nor touristy areas were spared from the violence. 

The current wave of violence, in contrast, has been linked largely to smaller drug dealers enmeshed in battles over local turf, thus far, largely contained to outlying areas of the city and the Zona Norte, near the US border.  However, it is unclear if it will stay that way. 

TIJUANA #2: A FOODIE’S PARADISE

An increase in violence is not usually correlated with increased tourism, but that is what has been happening in Tijuana.  Tourism to the city has increased dramatically over the past few years thanks in large part to the city’s quick rise to recognition as Mexico’s “go-to foodie city” (medical tourism is another significant contributor).

Tijuana has all culinary and design staples of a foodie city including range of price points, types of cuisine, and dining environments.  Want to enjoy an exceptional torta with a bottle of Dos Equis while sitting in a plastic chair in open air?  You can get that in Tijuana.  Prefer trendy small bites craft cocktail amidst prohibition style décor?  You can get that in Tijuana.  Or are the latest food trends from a professionally trained chef in a high-end environment more your style?  You can get that in Tijuana.

Many of Tijuana’s culinary delights and craft libations (the city’s craft beer scene is a big component part of its food scene), are located on or near Av. Revolución, the city’s main tourist road.  Nearby Plaza Fiesta is the hub for a liquid lunch with multiple craft beer and spirit tasting rooms.

Walking Revolución can be déjà vu inducing because it feels like tourist row in any city.  If you had no background, you would never guess that you were in a homicide ridden city.  You’re not walking by overt gang members wielding guns; you’re simply dodging ambitious sales people who really want you to buy a shot glass or Mexican blanket (and if I’m being honest, you really should buy a Mexican blanket.) 

The routine exteriors of many of Tijuana’s eating and drinking establishments are offset by their unique, diverse interiors – both as far as food and design concepts.  There’s the perfectly named Border Pyscho, a dark moody craft brewery; Cine Tonalá Tijuana, a triple-threat movie theater, restaurant, and bar; and Mision 19, a high end kitchen; and dozens of other food and dining options within the zones of Tijuana that are considered safest.

San Diegans, including myself, from across the border in the United States, are among the most frequent visitors to Tijuana food hot spots like Telefonica Gastro Park.  But Tijuana’s food scene is hardly a local secret anymore. It’s been favorably profiled by the New York Times and Food & Wine, among others.

RECONCILING THE TWO TIJUANAS: IS IT SAFE TO VISIT?

Tijuana’s foodie side is so fun, light, and modern that it feels like different place from the Tijuana that captures headlines for its danger.  That feeling can be dangerous, because it isn’t a separate city.  There is no physical boundary that separates the cities two personalities.  Violence could easily spill other, intentionally as in the late 2000s, or even unintentionally due to proximity, into “safe” areas of Tijuana.

On the flip-side, the stories of the violence in Tijuana are so visceral that it is easy to draw a blanket conclusion that violence and drugs permeate the entire city.  That isn’t true.  Even as the violence has risen, it has largely (but not entirely) been constrained to certain areas, and though there have been some bystander injuries and deaths, tourists are not being targeted. I have personally felt safe on each of my 4 visits to Tijuana in the past 10 months despite a general disposition towards getting spooked easily.  

So, is it safe to visit Tijuana in 2019? No, it is not perfectly safe to visit Tijuana in 2019…or to visit New York City…or London.  There is inherent risk in everything we do.  That being said, as far as cities go visiting Tijuana is objectively riskier than visiting many other cities. However, that risk can be drastically reduced by strictly staying within known areas and taking a cautious approach.  Everyone has a different risk tolerance.  Stay within yours.

The US Department of State currently rates travel to the Baja region, which includes Tijuana, at a “Level 2,” which means “exercise increased caution,” and is below Level 3, which is “reconsider travel.”  

For me, the risk has thus far has weighed in favor of visiting when the opportunities arose, but playing it on the safe side (specific precautions discussed here).  Tijuana has multiple worlds which co-exist and for the time being, remain pretty separate. When considering whether to visit as a tourist, I think it is a mistake to focus on one face of the city while ignoring the other.

My analysis of the risk could change. The lack of progress in decreasing the homicide rate thus far in 2019; the new emphasis on encouraging tourists to visit places in Baja, other than Tijuana; and the relative quiet of the streets during my visit two days ago, all give me more pause than I had before.  I have not ruled out another trip this year.  I’ll watch, see how things shake out in the city over the next few months, and make a decision when there is a decision to be made.

Post Script: When traveling solo or in riskier places, I split my money up. I’ll typically put some money and my passport in a travel belt like this one under my clothes. Bonus – it’s super sexy.