Avenida Juárez runs south from the Puente Paso del Norte — the main pedestrian bridge from El Paso — directly into the commercial heart of the city. For decades this street was the first thing most American visitors experienced of Mexico, and it developed a border-town economy to match: pharmacies, dental clinics, restaurants, souvenir shops, and bars selling cheap drinks to visitors who had crossed to drink at the legal age.
The violence of 2008–2012 emptied the avenue dramatically, but it has largely recovered. The pharmacies are still there — prescription drugs available over the counter at Mexican prices is still a major draw for many American visitors. The street food is good: tacos, burritos (Juárez claims to have invented the burrito), and gorditas sold from stands that have operated for decades. It is not a beautiful street, but it is alive and interesting, and it connects directly to the cathedral and plaza beyond.