In the early days of Tijuana tourism, in the 1920s and 1930s, the economy grew fast by catering to Americans' appetites for vice, and the city's tourism fortunes have long risen and fallen with the changing social mores and economy north of the border.
The fabled Agua Caliente casino and racetrack thrived during Prohibition and attracted such Hollywood stars as Charlie Chaplin and Gary Cooper.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday, February 24, 2008 Bulldog Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 28 words Type of Material: Correction
Tijuana: An article in the Feb. 17 Section A, about tourists steering clear of Tijuana because of drug violence, omitted the reporter's name. Richard Marosi was the author.
In the postwar era, San Diego's growth as a U.S. Navy port provided a steady stream of thrill-seeking sailors.
Tourist flows peaked in the 1970s, say experts and longtime merchants, but the end of horse racing and the closure of the jai alai arena in the early 1990s started a steady decline. Along Avenida Revolucion, bars and nightclubs offering a warm welcome to underage drinkers opened to take up the slack.
Only glimmers of the past remain.
At the historic Caesar's Restaurant, which calls itself the "officially certified" home of the Caesar salad, a picture of Paul McCartney sipping a margarita hangs over the bar. A bartender, engrossed in a chess game with the lone customer, dismissed questions about the ex-Beatle's visit.
Meanwhile, a waiter was busy hanging up a sign on the railing outside -- for Caesar's Men's Club. At night, the former banquet hall in the back of the restaurant becomes a strip club. "Come by later," said a waiter. "The lap dances are only $20."
Farther down Avenida Revolucion, pushy shoeshine boys and loud barkers compete for visitors' attention, tossing out such lines as "Got a Mexican minute, mister?"
Many bars offer all-you-can-drink deals. Locals pack the Caliente casino, with its 10-cent slots.
Young men urge passersby to saddle up for pictures on the Tijuana zebras, the donkeys painted white with black stripes that epitomize Tijuana tackiness.
It was all too much for James Osborne, a 25-year-old visitor from Iowa. Standing under a "Come Back Soon Amigos" sign, he said his 15-minute visit with a friend was too long.
"We've had enough," Osborne said. "Everybody's trying to hustle you."
Keith and Diane Heuser, hospital administration professionals from Iowa, had a different experience.
The couple and their friends bought a $180 leather jacket and a silver necklace, ate chiles rellenos and drank margaritas.
"We're having a great time. It's tacky but entertaining," said Keith Heuser, while smoking a Cuban cigar on a stroll down lonely Avenida Revolucion.
It used to seem as if Tijuana could attract an endless supply of tourists like the Heusers.
"We never imagined that tourists would stop coming," said Clark Alfaro of the Bi-National Center for Human Rights. "It's a shame."
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richard.marosi@latimes.com
