Safe and easy drive from border to La Zona
The drive from border to La Zona is actually very easy and safe; parking in La Zona is also safe and cheap.
Follow Fwy 5 South across the border and go through Mexico's El Chaparral check point.
Follow the road, go up a ramp to merge into the old 6-lane Fwy 5 heading South. Hang left in the 2 left lanes with sign to El Centro. It will take you to a down ramp turning 270 deg and place you on Calle 3, the only road heading West into downtown Tijuana, lined with car body and repair shops.
Heading West on calle 3 you will go a few short blocks across a few traffic lights with major North South blvds: O'Campo, Negrete, the tourist trap Ave Revolucion, then Ave Constitucion. Turn right head North on Ave Consittucion 2 short blocks, crossing Calle 2 and calle 1, and you are in La Zona Norte AKA La Zona Roja in 5-10 minutes. Half a block pass Calle 1, opposite the alley on your right is Lira parking, a 3-story concrete structure with security guards owned by Hong Kong.
This drive to La Zona goes through the main shopping district with shops, farmacias, department stores, full of cars, buses, vans, pedestrians, traffic moves along slowly at 5-10 MPH, quite easy and safe. It's busy so there are little chances policias will pull anyone over to hassle. There are other less busy ways to drive to La Zona, but I usually drive the noobs this way to give them a glimpse of busy main streets downtown before we hit the gritty La Zona Norte, hehe.