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We know you鈥檝e heard of Tijuana, a city that, up until recently, hasn鈥檛 needed an introduction鈥攐r, maybe we should say, a reintroduction. Sitting directly on the United States鈥揗茅xico border, Tijuana developed as a bawdy 鈥淟as Vegas South鈥� reputation for American tourists, becoming the country鈥檚 capital of vice, cheap pleasures, and tequila-soaked mischief and letting its cultural riches fall by the wayside.

Now thanks to a number of major cultural shifts taking place in the city and along the border, that reputation may as well be ancient history as far as local residents are concerned. After tourists stopped streaming into the city in the mid-2000s due to a temporary uptick in drug-related violence and border tightening procedures, Tijuanenses reinvigorated their city on their own terms, igniting a long-dormant cultural explosion. These days, although the border remains tight, visitors are returning to a much safer city, only to find that it has become a cultural haven bursting with Mexico-centric food, drinks, art, and design.

One of the biggest signs that the times are changing is the opening of the city鈥檚 first boutique hotel:  Tijuana, which will start taking bookings in early March this year. Formerly the derelict Hotel Lafayette, the rebuilt and remodeled OneBunk crowns the city鈥檚 main drag, Avenida Revolucion, and is operated by the border-straddling, binational hospitality company, LWP Group, based in San Diego. There is an in-house barber, a store featuring Mexican-influenced design pieces from Object MX (which also has a full store across town), and a casual lobby bar that serves mezcal and local craft beer. Guests can choose among nine smart and chic, modern rooms outfitted in a minimalist-industrial vibe. Each features either bunk beds or a standard queen, and all guests look out on La Revu, as Tijuanenses call it鈥攖he view of the city and United States beyond.

It needs to be said: Tijuana is a city for eaters. Fish lovers will feel right at home and should head to La Corriente Cevicheria Nais, a restaurant that is rightly famous for its red snapper tostada, although the secret favorite is the 鈥淭aco Kalifornia,鈥� a sort of Sonoran-style seafood taco with shrimp and Anaheim chilis. Keep the party going at the adjoining mezcal bar, El Tinieblo, a dark, intimate party den that brings in tasteful electronic DJs. Because there鈥檚 no such thing as enough tacos, a visit to 鈥淭aco Alley鈥� is a must and is best experienced on a street food tour with the folks at Club Tengo Hambre (mezcal shots included). The minibus also stops Telefonica Gastropark, a veritable wonderland of food trucks serving quality dishes far above your standard food truck fare.

is the product of Javier Plascencia鈥攁 well-known chef who dared to start a fine dining revolution in Tijuana six years ago. The restaurant is still creating inventive new dishes from Baja California鈥檚 bounty of sea and land, and the tasting menu is the best way to experience it. For other formal dining options, the sit-down experiences at Oryx Capital鈥攚hich hides the Nortico speakeasy in the back鈥攁nd  are delicious and creative. Don鈥檛 miss the suckling pig at the former and the octopus and lentils at the latter.

Drinkers are in luck in Tijuana, but these days, it鈥檚 all about quality over quantity. Along with elevated Baja-style cuisine, craft beer is another recent obsession in the city. Plaza Fiesta, formerly a mall of nightclubs, has become the one-stop shop for new brews, where visitors can hop from tasting room to tasting room and sample brews from Cerveceria Insurgente, Border Psycho, Mamut Cerveza, and more. Across from the famed dive Dandy del Sur, and mere steps off of Revolucion, La Mezcalera is a hipster hole-in-the-wall known for its mezcal flights. For cocktails with a view, head to the roof of Cine Tonal谩, then go downstairs to catch a show at Tijuana鈥檚 first art house movie theater.

Tijuana has also become a center for high art and design. Head to the fine art gallery, La Caja Galeria, to see featured artists from Tijuana, Mexico, and Latin America including Jaime Ruiz Otis, a Mexicali-born visual artist who uses recycled trash from the region鈥檚 many factories to create his work. , which is just across the street from OneBunk and down the block from Cine Tonala, is a temple to interior design. Principal Mariana Postlethwaite not only designed all the furniture in the store, but she also doubles as an architect. A fierce supporter of the arts, she features local artists at Casa Duhagon, such as abstract painter Nuria Pujol-Caire. Design lovers on the hunt for hard-to-find vintage pieces and one-of-a-kind modern Mexican furniture should get in touch with artist and designer Seth Sullivan, who grew up in Tijuana and continues to live there with his wife.

Of course, visitors can find glimpses of the 鈥渙ld鈥� Tijuana: Donkeys painted like zebras still roam Avenida Revolucion, the red light district attracts people from all over, and 颁补别蝉补谤鈥檚 is still churning out the Caesar salad it claims to have invented, to rave reviews. But focusing on the old, clich茅d Tijuana means missing out not only on everything new but also, more importantly, on the true soul of Mexico鈥檚 most underrated city. Object MX鈥檚 Veronica Hernandez sums it up best, explaining, 鈥淎rt and food have become a way for us in Tijuana to figure out our relationship with the border. It opens a dialogue and permits us, as Mexicans, to define who we are through our experiences.鈥� With a healthy influx of visitors from both sides of the border, it seems this new age in Tijuana鈥檚 story is poised to stick鈥攕pring breakers need not apply.

Source: AFAR

By: Jackie Bryant