Aerial view of Northside Belize City, post 1931
Must be the 1950's or 40's, or prior. The entire concrete 3 storey building of today's SCA high school had not been built yet. The easternmost structure of the convent closest to the U.S. consulate is the wing which today houses the Chapel on the 2nd floor and what was the old auditorium in the 70's on the ground floor. During this time of the photo, it must have been classrooms. YOu can see St.Catherine's and the prison.
St. Catherine's is right behind the long building at the right of the picture. Enlarge the picture and you see the convent house.
The middle near triangle is Memorial Park. Can see the round Battle of George's Caye memorial and the Cenotaph. You can see St. Mary's school.
Must be before 1960. In the 60's and 70's there was a gas station operated by Eduardo Mendez Sr. in the triangle opposite Memorial Park, where Mirab Store was built more recently.
Belize City Northside
by Michelle Rivana Buckley
Belize City Northside was always fun walking across swing bridge and stopping on the right side (fire station) of the bridge and looking out to sea, feeling the wonderful Caribbean breeze just covering your face. Blowing so softly against your face that you would lean over the rail and watch the fishes in the water swimming around. The parked sailboats swaying gently in the river. This was a ritual of mine to do on my visit to my cousins who lived on New Road or walk up Queen Street and make a left on the street Valencia IceCream shop was on.
We would take two routes to get to their home. We would walk up North Front Street then turn onto Pickstock street Prime Minister George Price lived on until we came to New Road.
It was always fun walking on North Front Street. As you cross the bridge on your left was the green and white building for Belize Estate and at the foot of the bridge was Fresco Man as I called him. Selling from his cart snow cones which he shaved from a huge block of ice. I could see him with his handkerchief thrown over his shoulder wiping away the sweat from his face and wearing his cap, his white T-shirt and khaki pants. He made the best syrup for the snow cones. The colors were red, yellow, and green. You had the option to have him pour condensed milk over it or just plain ice with the milk. His cart was always filled with local fruits such as plums, oranges, peanuts, and the very special PK gum. His huge jar that contained the golden plums soaked in vinegar and water with an habanero pepper floating around. Him asking you if you would like pepper and salt poured over your plums. As kids I was always fascinated with the little gadget he used to peel the oranges. Going full speed to not lose one of his customers and rubbing salt all over it. He was an iconic person with a personality as big as the city.
Across from his cart was Vogue with their showcase window on North Front Street side and also facing Queen Street. Their windows displaying the prettiest of fabrics, shoes, rugs and other household goods from abroad. Vogues was the Macy’s of city. NGoing down NF street seeing the warehouse where the chicle for gums was stored and opposite them was Holy Redeemer church and book store. The book store as I recall was very tiny and the ladies who worked there were very kind and friendly. After school was let out I would venture in to go read the books I liked. The displays of the latest Kiss & Darling Magazine and of course Mills & Boon romance novels. Our local history books. The open lot that led you to the back of the building. In the early 60s-70s Holy Redeemer upper division (standard 6) was housed upstairs of Vogues and Standard 5 was in the cream house behind the church next to the grey building that was the rectory.
It was always fun watching the river flowing into the canal. You could see the waves lapping and once in a while poop floating by. To us it was normal and always fun to see if you could walk over the 5inch steel beams that cross over the canal. I guess some kids took a bath in the canal once in a while and it meant a trip to the principals office and a serious assing(whipping) at home. Nonetheless it was a challenge and fun trying to master the skill of balancing your feet across it to get to the other side.
As you pass the canal you would see Esso gas station and with every whiff of wind you smell the fuel. This was the stop for the boat taxis or fishermen to purchase their gas, ice, cigarettes and soda. It was the stop we would use to pick up my sister or get a ride to school or to home. Docking there was a lot of fun standing on the bow holding the rope and jumping off the bow of the boat to guide it closer and tie it up. I had the privilege of doing this with my dad. Across from the gas station was Holy Redeemer school with its two story unpainted concrete buildings. The huge iron gates with slotted concrete fence. The steel post that held up the verandas for the building all rusting. The bridge that connected the two front buildings (standards 1 & 2) and the other that had Mrs Usher class room on the first floor and standard 3& 4. The huge concrete vat. After recess from the playground you would line up to drink from its faucet. The slate building next to it that had Mrs Card the principal office downstairs. Opening the wooden windows on the second floor by pushing them outwards and propping with a piece of stick. The kindergarten (ABC) was opposite all three buildings and on ground floor. I could recall using slate and chalk and the old wooden Abacus that was in Miss Barber class. Infant 1 and 2 was around the corner near the out house and canal.Ms. Perriott, Mrs. Duran and Mrs Young taught the infant classes. The yard was concrete and the other entrance to school was near Hyde Lane. The discotheque Big Apple was a little further up on the riverside in the 80s before it became Big Apple it was Bel Rio theater. The theater building was one level with the outside painted dark blue with red stripe. Besides the theater there was a beautiful white concrete building with steeples. I do not know if it was a home or a business. If you turned on Hydes Lane you would go pass the school playground that was in front of the alley where theFabro family lived. There was an alley where Mrs. Jane Usher had the Credit Union, the Duran family and Louis Armstrong family lived near the canal. As you head towards New Road you would pass Vivas snack shop. Their home veranda was laiden with fruits and candies to purchase before going, after leaving school. At the corner was the old Extension College in the white wooden 2 storey building. Opposite Extension was Santiago Castillo. Head a little further on Hydes Lane and you would come out onto Barrack Road. You could walk a few streets and end up at the Belize City hospital.
If you continue walking on New Road heading North you would pass Copa Cobana night club. The club walls were pink and always playing bar room music. You know the old love songs of Percy Sledge, Otis Redding and Molly by Sam Hamilton our local crooner. Continuing on your way you would pass the Alley that lead you back to North Front Street. The old vat that was near the riverside and the rundown wooden homes that graced the riverside. At the corner of Pickstock was the Mennonite House, opposite the house was a grocery store that sold Miranda soda and the Stevens family home at the corner. As you continue walking New Road you would pass the Hulse’s tortilla shop and home and at the end the table and brown wooden /concrete building at the corner. That building was I believe a grocery store. A little further up was The old gas station that was opposite my uncle’s Fatman Sally aka Alexander Encalada home. He was in charge ofspinning the lottery for Boledo and was a fireman.
The other alternative rout was going up Queen Street passing Vogues opposite it was Paslow building three floors. On the first was the Post Office, second floor was the Land’s Department then the Court. On the Vogues side was the drive that led to La Fame the nightclub. next to it downstairs were two Indian Clothing store and upstairs was the bar Upstairs Cafe. Then followed by Angelus Press where we would go buy our school supplies such as blanks aka notebooks, creppe paper, construction paper. Entering Angeles Press you would have fun walking down the aisle getting served by the teenagers that worked there. It was always crowded on Thursday because in Belize on Fridays almost every school had their students do artwork. Your parents would scramble to get you your 25cents to go buy a sheet of construction or card stock paper before it sold out.
The next building was Augusto Quan this was our major fabric and household items warehouse. There you could purchase your linoleum and Congoleum, the clear plastic to cover your furniture such as the floral settees and the plaid red and white plastic table cloth sold by the yard. Mr. Quan smoking his cigarette to the very tip lord knows how he balance the ashes on his cigarette without out letting it fall to the ground. It was always hot there. One of Mr Vivas older daughter worked there. I remember her like it was yesterday. Mr. Quan shouting sales order and prices across the room of his business, huge bundles of fabric lined the room with barely a path to walk around in the store. Sometimes he was funny other times bursting with sweat and grumpy. At the corner of Queen Street was Valencia Ice cream shop. All I can say was the room had an orange glow there were two large ice cream cone lamps and tables and chairs, with bar stools near the counter. The place always smelling like strawberries. Valencia was the treat of all treats. It was the anchor where families would take their children for that really special outing in town.
After Paslow building their were wooden two storey houses after the parking lot in the late 6Os. There was a store that sold shoes, the old ice cream shop, and several small businesses that had their glass window display. The buildings on this side was white and wooden. Followed by the green and white wooden two storey building that was the police station. All I know it had a cage on the second floor made from chain link fencing. How I know I had to go with my dad to visit his brother son Rudy Coye who was a policeman there. Rudy wife name was Yvonne and his two daughters were name Lisa and Michelle. They lived a few houses from David Montero shop and Malic’s. The police station was the scariest place for kids. I could recall getting release at 3pm from rhe school yard at Holy Redeemer having to pass it.
Going pass the police station there was a store then the Magestic theater followed by taxi stand. There were small Indian stores in that area and the barroom at the corner. In the late 80s Belize had its very own Hard Rock Cafe. It was the hot spot and of course it had roof top access which was a big thing for us back then.
Queen Street lead you to the bakery, to Calvary Chapel school on the street for Belize City hospital and the old concrete prison.
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