General Reports

[Hadez]

I do not think living in Tijuana is as bad as some think. I do not like commuting so not for me.

Roads = California roads are pretty horrible right now and we pay crazy taxes specifically for road upkeep.

Safety = Mexico is not as safe but anyone not yet aware that California is on a hard path down in terms of public safety in not aware of current events. One of the reasons people leaving California is because of safety issues.

Cost of living = not even a comparison. Mexico wins in a landslide. Specially if you have the ability to go back into the USA to buy the things that are more costly in Mexico.

Fun = not sure what people want to call some of these insane radical culture changes happening in the USA but they definitely making things less fun. I get "woke" may not be what the word was originally intended for and maybe the meaning has been shifted to fit political goals but I think everyone knows what I am talking about when I say woke actions in USA want me to take my money and resources to another country. This comes from a life long Left voter.

Little sorry to bring politics into this but the out of control political polarization that seems to have infected the USA (and CDMX on some levels according to my friends there) is really bringing the world down imo. Yes I will take my resources elsewhere to avoid that no fun crap. TBH a lot of is it just "rich people problems" because when I go to places that have less money these woke problems seem to go away. Maybe if people were dealing with real life and death problems they would see the insane nonsense in some of the things they stirring up crap about.

[Dogers69]

I love the city, but they do need better roads and less traffic. They probably don't collect enough tax revenue to reinvest into the city. Mexico is a mostly cash system so easy to bypass any tax revenue laws. Driving 10 miles can turn into an hour affair during most of the day. They keep building offices and residential buildings, but I don't see any improvements with more roadways or toll roads. Im sure they could make nicer thoroughfares near via rapida if they charged tolls. I've seen in the news they plan to create a metro system, but imagine it would take at least a decade to complete.

Yes Tijuana definitely needs a above ground trolley.

I don't think they can start building a below ground one. Thats probably more expensive. But a trolley that goes from the border to revolution and maybe a transfer to shoot south 10 miles at revolution, and one that goes to Playas from revolution. And at the border have another teaser that shoots maybe like a upside down you, that goes into the neighborhoods where everyone's living and back tobotay border crossing. The congestion is Tijuana in my opinion is the worst I've seen. Ifbin LOS angelles I'm always staying close to the coast so I can't speak to dealer into LA but Tijuana is much worse than Venice Santa Monica.

[Hadez]

Good advice. I am always upfront and honest with the government and law enforcement. IMO their job is hard enough without people making it more of a problem.

To anyone else who gets the interview it may be better just to go to Arizona. Can easily get those appointments in a month or two. Otay wait is currently 2024.

Seems like you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The interview should be easy and pretty quick. Just be honest and you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck.

[KBToys]

I could never live in Tijuana. A friend picked me up from revolution street on a sat night 8 pm to drive to her daughter apt 10 miles away. It took an hour. And that was normal. Its much worse in the day time I was told. The neighborhood her daughter lived in for low rent patients I wouldn't be safe in. Then she showed me apartments she's looking for for herself and other adult kids. Maybe 3 4 blocks off revolution. The streets look ghetto. There's no parking spots. Its nothing like a nice USA apartment t with a small patch grass maybe a little breathing room. Nope. Just everyone on top of each other and 3 bedroom was like $900 month. Wow. She wanted me to move into the laundry room part time and pay rent LOL. I'm like no thanks I like my revolution street hotels. My friends living in Tijuana paying these rents they make no money either. Like 6 dollars an hour. These aren't even. Minimum wage jobs. It would be middle income jobs that in is a pay 24 an hour.

I've driven past some pretty impressive neighborhoods in the hills of Tijuana. I think it was south of La Cacho and Chapultepec area. I'm sure most if not all are million dollar homes. Traffic is terrible, but rent for a 1-2 br in Tijuana runs $500-$700 compared to $2,000-$2,500 in SoCal.

[KBToys]

Living in Tijuana is much easier and nicer than you would think. In my years living there I never meet people that were depressed by living in Tijuana. Like most cities those living there are very proud and even with its negatives most in Tijuana come from other parts of Mexico for work. Being a border city it's definitely not full of normal Mexican culture as you find in some other parts but everyone is very warm especially if you make the effort to speak the language.

The city is getting more foreign investment and you can see the money being injected but the traffic is a mess and unfortunately Mexico doesn't have the money to spend or print like the US to make large investments to build more highways.

I love the city, but they do need better roads and less traffic. They probably don't collect enough tax revenue to reinvest into the city. Mexico is a mostly cash system so easy to bypass any tax revenue laws. Driving 10 miles can turn into an hour affair during most of the day. They keep building offices and residential buildings, but I don't see any improvements with more roadways or toll roads. I’m sure they could make nicer thoroughfares near via rapida if they charged tolls. I've seen in the news they plan to create a metro system, but imagine it would take at least a decade to complete.

[Artisttyp]

Living in Tijuana is much easier and nicer than you would think. In my years living there I never meet people that were depressed by living in Tijuana. Like most cities those living there are very proud and even with its negatives most in Tijuana come from other parts of Mexico for work. Being a border city it's definitely not full of normal Mexican culture as you find in some other parts but everyone is very warm especially if you make the effort to speak the language.

The city is getting more foreign investment and you can see the money being injected but the traffic is a mess and unfortunately Mexico doesn't have the money to spend or print like the US to make large investments to build more highways.

I agree 100 % . Tijuana is a vibe. You are either down with the program or not. I get things done here that I could never accomplish in the USA. Too many to name but life is easier here in many regards but YES at a price. Eventually I might outgrow it but there is no doubt Tijuana has been a lifesaver to me and many other Americans. I will always have respect for this city and even more for the natives that live here.

[Sol12]

Living in Tijuana is much easier and nicer than you would think. In my years living there I never meet people that were depressed by living in Tijuana. Like most cities those living there are very proud and even with its negatives most in Tijuana come from other parts of Mexico for work. Being a border city it's definitely not full of normal Mexican culture as you find in some other parts but everyone is very warm especially if you make the effort to speak the language.

The city is getting more foreign investment and you can see the money being injected but the traffic is a mess and unfortunately Mexico doesn't have the money to spend or print like the US to make large investments to build more highways.

[Sol12]

After more than 18 months I have gotten the interview. I am working through that process. A less resourceful person than me could wait a year for the interview.

Seems like you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The interview should be easy and pretty quick. Just be honest and you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck.

[Dogers69]

I also concur with that.

Some of Tijuana's restaurants are indeed excellent. Those from the placencia group are always a hit. And many others. I eat very well there. And some bars have excellent mixology that would rival anything here in the states.

But still, those are pearls among swine. The city is ugly and poorly planned. The people are often miserable and contemptuous of their richer and more entitled neighbors to the north (with good reason often). While some areas are safe, smart people will not walk between safe areas a mile away due to legitimate safety issues. The police are corrupt. The poverty is not third world but it's not first world either and when it's bad it's really bad (like shanty towns).

I'm not saying Tijuana has nothing going for it. It does and I go there often. I'm saying that as a resident it would suck. It's good for norteos like us to come and do our thing and leave. But for people who make it a home, it's just an awful place.

I could never live in Tijuana. A friend picked me up from revolution street on a sat night 8 pm to drive to her daughter apt 10 miles away. It took an hour. And that was normal. Its much worse in the day time I was told. The neighborhood her daughter lived in for low rent patients I wouldn't be safe in. Then she showed me apartments she's looking for for herself and other adult kids. Maybe 3 4 blocks off revolution. The streets look ghetto. There's no parking spots. Its nothing like a nice USA apartment t with a small patch grass maybe a little breathing room. Nope. Just everyone on top of each other and 3 bedroom was like $900 month. Wow. She wanted me to move into the laundry room part time and pay rent LOL. I'm like no thanks I like my revolution street hotels. My friends living in Tijuana paying these rents they make no money either. Like 6 dollars an hour. These aren't even. Minimum wage jobs. It would be middle income jobs that in is a pay 24 an hour.

[Hadez]

After more than 18 months I have gotten the interview. I am working through that process. A less resourceful person than me could wait a year for the interview.

Still no word on your Sentri pass?

[Hadez]

Tijuana is an ok place to have fun. Same with Rosarito and even Ensenada. I fly the lower cost girls from all over Mexico into Tijuana and we have lots of fun going to places to eat. Bars and various sight seeing. They are still high quality girls. It is just well known the closer the girl is to Tijuana/San Diego the more she will ask for.

Now I get how someone who has been to other cities in Mexico thinks Tijuana is bad. Even Mexicans I know think Tijuana is not as good as the other cities I been too. Besides some of the obvious beach cities I really like CDMX. Yea no amazing beaches but fantastic sight seeing, great food and so far I have met my favorite locas from CDMX. Some I met there and some I met in the Zona from there.

I think it is best to figure you what you are looking for before you go. If you are mongering it is difficult to beat Tijuana because everything is laid out for you in one central location. If you can get away from the mongering mindset then just about every major city in Mexico beats Tijuana and by the time you return, you will say to yourself that Tijuana is kind of fucking ugly compared to the rest of Mexico.

[Sol12]

Thanks for the heads up. They actually said I get 2 free ones. That's why I'm here asking, because I don't understand where you need to go in order to enter the que for normal re-entry. Is it easier to just drive to Otay?

I messed up on my last report. If you do the first way I mentioned you actually go thru 4 traffic circles. I somehow forgot about honest Abe.

[Sol12]

Thanks for the heads up. They actually said I get 2 free ones. That's why I'm here asking, because I don't understand where you need to go in order to enter the que for normal re-entry. Is it easier to just drive to Otay?

Well I don't pay much attention to the streets of Tijuana since most are hard to find names of except for the larger ones. So I like to use businesses as a point of reference. I was in La Mansion last October and this is the way I went back to the border. I had to look at Google maps to find the names of the businesses to try and help you better.

When you come out of La Mansion you can only go right, so go right and stay until the first off ramp which is right where the Holiday Inn is. Once you get on that off ramp it takes you to Ave. De LOS Héroes, this is one of the main streets in Tijuana. You can take this all the way to the border. You will go thru 3 "Glorietas" aka traffic circles but just stay in the middle so you go straight. You will pass El Camino Real hotel at the second one and Plaza Rio at the third one. Now the only problem with this route is that the border line is usually the longest since it's for those that don't have Ready Lane and usually moves slower.

Your second option is to do the same as the first but at the first traffic circle go to the right and take the bridge over the river. Now stay in the right lane so yo can take the first right off ramp once over the river. This will put you onto the areápida that will take you to the border and the Ready Lanes.

If you look on google maps before your trip to get familiar with things and maybe make a test drive if you have time before you go to the motel. Tijuana is pretty easy to get around once you figure out some of the basic streets. Mostly it's East to West and the biggest obstacle is to realize that most businesses are on one side of the river but to get back to the border you have to get to the other side.

[Robreefer]

Next time you cross in sentri they very likely will fine you 5 k. And it needs to be paid on the spot.

Thanks for the heads up. They actually said I get 2 free ones. That's why I'm here asking, because I don't understand where you need to go in order to enter the que for normal re-entry. Is it easier to just drive to Otay?

[Dogers69]

The last time I went to Tijuana I left my hotel at 2:00 PM and I could not find the border line. I left from La Mansion and every sign that I followed took me in circles around the city. Every time I would get close to what looked like a border line, the police would direct me away. Google maps / car navigation was no help. Eventually I just crossed through the sentry line because I honestly could not figure out how to drive across the proper way. I always stay at La Mansion. Can someone explain how to get into the automobile crossing line when it is busy? Is it easier to navigate to the Otay Crossing?

Next time you cross in sentri they very likely will fine you 5 k. And it needs to be paid on the spot.