Here you can find maps of the whole Mexico-Texas border...all of Mexico, for that matter. I have found it very useful, maybe you will too.
http://www.maps-of-mexico.com/mexico_states.shtml
As you can see when looking at the map, a highway (Hwy. 2) parallels the entire south Texas border on the Mexican side, much as 83 does on the
Texas side. If you want to have an adventure, run it all the way from Heroica Matamoros (Matamoros) to Ciudad Acuna. I have, both ways. You will find many places where a beer and a girl can be had. All you need is one girl, if she's the right girl. Some Spanish ability will help in these smaller places, but not absolutely necessary. If you don't speak any, learn. It's a lot easier than English, and Mexicans don't seem to have any trouble learning English.
I'll make this short - I think that Nuevo Laredo is the best border town for most people, including me, all other things being equal. Juarez is a lot more dangerous, IMO, and suffers under a much more oppressive state and city government, not as friendly to monger type tourists. Reynosa is ok, I have had fun there, but it lacks variety in comparison, and I never felt as quite as friendly an atmosphere there.
BTW, please don't go all the way to Nuevo Laredo, and then go only to Papagayo-Tamyko-Marabu. There are fifty bars in Boy's Town. Forget about how you would change it according to your own ideals and prejudices and accept it for what it is and has evolved to be over many years. If you lose your money because you picked the wrong girl for a companion, or some beauty or transie or hag picks your pocket, then you have learned a valuable lesson and will be more creative in the future. If you get thrown by a horse, don't blame the horse...he's just being a horse.
Ciudad Acuna was the place to go back in the day - way back - but I haven't heard anything in very recent times that would make me want to make the effort. If it was now like it was then, I would leap mountains and break chains to get there. If you only knew some of the questionable things I did there...
However, if you go to some out of the way smaller crossing, and you meet that one great girl who gives you the gfe all nighter for free and opens up every hole to you and gives you head to toe massages with happy ending and lets you cum in her mouth bareback while she doodles your prostate so you will ejaculate three times as much semen...we'll then you would have to report that you were at the best place not only on the border but in the world. But if you are only a person of average luck, go to NL. It ain't Bangkok, or even Angeles City, but it ain't 12, 000 miles away, either.