Parque Teniente Guerrero — Attraction in Baja California

Delighted I found such a pleasant, green place to bench lounge and stroll this morning -- though it sadly lost its calm at 11am when the "singer" arrived, cranking up his toy generator and annoying speakers. I've passed by this park for years visiting doctors in the area, but today I took advantage of an hour delay right across Calle 3ra.

The fountains must be a summer pleasure, but we're shut off this week for seasonal cleaning. The swirling clouds of pigeons are fun while the towering palms and other trees are a joy, as is the view of the ancient church of Saint Francis of Assisi directly opposite.

I enjoyed a visit to the small municipal library and appreciated access to the public computers. The sidewalk food and trinket venders were cheerful, clean, and fairly priced.

Everyone I met -- including a few elderly "homeless" -- was friendly and glad to see me. As usual, there were kids looking to practice their English -- my Spanish is pathetic.

A library lady cautioned to be alert after dark as there are occasional grab-and-run thieves, despite the neighborhood police box. I felt only pleasant friendliness during my...

One of the only outside places where the police don't profile me and take my earnings out of my pockets...until this past Saturday during the small hours of the morning when I was in an uber leaving the park to return to an apartment i was renting in Playas. At the top of the hill across from the cemetery cops hard their vehicles positioned to stop cars randomly and stopped the uber I was in. At the stop the 5 cops took $500 dollars American from me for having a pocket knife. That was my rent money for my flat there. One proceeded to tell me that id I didn't like it to not come to Tijuana. Too stupid to realize that part of the reason he has a job and Tijuana has the economy it has is due to Americans coming and living in Tijuana. Their cops are just as bad as the cartels. Perhaps Americans should stop coming to Tijuana and becoming victims to its people preying on Americans coming there to spend with the merchant class there and experience the culture. It seems to me that in the year and a half of living in Tijuana that the people appreciate us and our economic contribution little to...

El parque is one of the rare spots in Zona Centro where you can actually cool off under the shade of old trees on a hot Tijuana afternoon. It’s the kind of place where life feels a little slower. People walking their dogs, families on the lawn enjoying picnics, and kids running around the playground while the sound of laughter fills the air. There’s an outdoor gimnasio right next to the biblioteca that’s always busy with regulars who know each other by name.

But what really makes it special is the music. Just about every day, local musicians set up by the gazebo and sing along with cumbias, rancheras y más. Before long, young and old turn it into a giant dance floor as strangers become neighbors.

Street vendors surround the park with tacos, elotes, churros, y agua frescas.

For me, it’s not just a park—it’s the heart of the community that reminds you why you fell in love with Tijuana in the...