Back in the 1990s, National City wasn’t the kind of place you read about in the guide books. A mere stone’s throw from the touristy enclaves and glittering sands of San Diego’s Coronado Island and Imperial Beach, and a 20- minute car ride from Tijuana, across the border in Mexico, the area’s nickname reflects its notorious past: Nasty City. “It’s nothing to brag about, but in 1994 this area had a higher crime rate than New York City,” says P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel.
Today, taquerias, strip malls and residential neighbourhoods buzzing with vibrant Mexican culture dominate this sweeping region south of downtown San Diego. It’s here that we’ve arranged to meet one of the city’s most successful and durable musical exports for a tour of their hometown and the places that have shaped them.
