Although I live in San Diego, a few miles away from the border, I only went 3-4 times to Mexico, to Ensenada, which is on the coast, about 70 miles south of San Diego. The road, carved on the sides of the mountains and hills, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, under the sun (it's sunny most of the time in SD) is one of the most beautiful in the world.

I never felt threatened in Ensenada, which was never a drug hub because it is too far from the US border. People are lovely there. Food delicious. But Tijuana, right across the border, had a bad reputation 5 years ago and more: drug wars (all the fault of the US government). We have to drive through Tijuana to go to Ensenada; it's safe to drive through but I would not stop, even today that Tijuana ("TJ") has improved a lot. There is quite a wealthy community (Americans and Mexicans) on the coast, just behind Tijuana: such enclaves are as safe as safe areas in the US (as safe as San Diego for example). It all depends where you go. One has to know where to go. Each time I went to Mexico, I was with friends who knew what they were doing.

I have friends who own houses in Ensenada and on the coast of TJ: they never mention any problems with safety. They spend 6 months a year down there, and 6 months in SD. Again, it all depends where you go.