Settled on the the boundaries between Mexico and the State of California USA, Tijuana is a progressive, recognized city by having the most visited border crossing in the world. Modern, traditional, cosmopolitan with a privileged location that has not only favored it as a diverse cultural expressions scenario, but also as one of the main industrial, commercial and tourist centers in the North-West of the Mexican Republic.

The city is fast developing a dynamic arts scene, and enterprising newcomers have breathed life into the city’s restaurant industry, using cultural institutions like Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT) as a breeding ground for home-grown artistic and cultural movements. In the Zona Río, beyond the areas where most tourists venture, you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, clubs and modern concrete and glass buildings, offering the best glimpse of Tijuana’s other life – one that has more in common with San Diego than the adult-themed carnival atmosphere of La Revo. And the food is fabulous – Tijuana excels at tasty tacos and can claim some of the best burritos in Mexico.

Mercado Miguel Hidalgo, Independencia at Guadalupe Victoria (daily 7am–7pm), is the city’s largest outdoor market and the last real remnant of the zone’s pre-spruced-up period. You can buy produce, seafood, desserts, piñatas, toys and clothing at the colourful stalls that line its perimeter. Some of the stalls double as restaurants, but if you can’t find anything to your liking, there are a number of bakeries and fish taco joints along the nearby streets Guadalupe Victoria and Mina. The Mercado is within walking distance of the adjacent Plaza del Zapato (for cheap name-brand trainers) and the city’s largest mall, the Plaza Río, Paseo de los Héroes 9698

Tijuana has a diverse cosmopolitan population which includes migrants from other parts of Mexico, as well as immigrants from all over the globe. Home to a global populace, Tijuana holds one of Mexico's largest Asian populations, predominantly consisting of Chinese immigrants, and to a lesser extent, Koreans and Japanese. Tijuana is also home to a large and rapidly growing population of United States citizens, mostly from Southern California, who have moved to the city to avoid the higher cost of living in the region, while still being able to work in Southern California. Many Latin Americans, notable Argentines, Cubans, and Guatemalans, have made Tijuana their home, especially people from Central America and Andean nations. The city is also called home by many Italian, French, Spanish and Lebanese citizens. A large transitory population exists in Tijuana due to border aspirations or deportations.

Tijuana today is one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico with an average of 80,000 people moving to Tijuana yearly. In terms of area, the city grows by approximately three hectares a day, mostly east and south as the city is mostly built out to the beach already with the exception of some canyons. Along with settlements, big business moves in providing supermarkets and retail to marginal areas, along with paved roads. The city experiences the construction of 26,000 new settlements a year that has led to the unregulated, illegal squatter homes that takes place in the hills and valleys of ever expanding Tijuana, most of these areas are yet to be served by city services, including the addition of sidewalks, paving, streetlights, public transit and other services. However, as older and existing squatters are brought into the city services, more marginal areas become occupied by squatters. Mexican cultural attitudes towards the poor are more about tolerance and reluctant acceptance of the problems rather than forcing them into situation where they cannot fend for themselves and/or incarceration.

Many foreigners travel to Tijuana to drink and dance, buy prescription drugs, purchase bootleg brand-name clothing, timepieces, and other personal accessories found globally, as well as manufactured and hand-crafted local curiosities. Locals and regular tourists avoid hassles by visiting the clubs at Plaza Fiesta or other areas of the Zona Río without the crowds, heavy marketing, and occasional tourist misbehavior or outright lawbreaking common on the Revolución strip. However, Avenida Revolución has been known for its proliferation of nightclub shows, primarily catering to casual tourists. While still an entertaining town with an enjoyable atmosphere, locals and tourists alike would agree that it has lost its "anything goes" mentality which it had once acquired, a mindset that was dangerous to tourists, locals, and the tourism industry as a whole.

Tijuana's nightlife scene is one of the city's strongest attractions. The area surrounding "La Sexta", the intersection at Calle Sexta and Av. Revolucion, is now a major hub of new bars and dance clubs. Zona Rio, Tijuana's new Downtown, is home to some of the city's finest restaurants and bars. Another capstone of Tijuana's entertainment offerings is its adult nightlife industry, which includes the city's red light district as well as less conspicuous adult entertainment venues.