I like Belize City for a day of business or shopping. My attorney does not have an armed guard. I hire a cab because I can't find my way on the one-way streets --- so I go, I ride, I shop and the taxi man puts my goods in the car. The Belize City museum is fantastic. Mirab is great. Mikado has a huge array of fabric, super helpful staff and groovy music. Some of the old buildings echo a remarkable era of architectural beauty - fading and falling apart but still there if you look. Perhaps BC is not for a novice traveler and for sure not for a person showing bling, but still there is something about it that begs to be refurbished and enjoyed.

Ditto Ron and Diane the taxi method isn't that expensive and I do that as well. Hes waits and is a great place to leave the shopping bags. Its a city and a lot of cities have the same characteristics,
you could get mugged easy if you don't act smart.
For me Belize City has a charm but its buried under a lot of filth.

I've lived in Lagos, Nigeria in the 1980's and BC is clean and sweet smelling.