2 nights/2.5 days Belgium, which city to base/stay?

The thing is, though, Ghent or even Bruges seems safe to walk alone at night, not as confident in Brussels.

Maybe this will put your mind at ease a bit.
If any problems are reported at night in Brussels, they tend to be in the areas around the stations Nord and Midi. And, of course, there are also issues with drug dealing in Anderlecht and Molenbeek (no reason for tourists to be there).

On the other hand, you’ll be able to walk around perfectly safely in the actual center of Brussels.
The only group that might occasionally be approached in an unpleasant manner here are people from the LGBTQ+ community and who are easily recognizable as such.

I see in Rick Steve's book he only gave it 1 triangle, whereas Bruges got 3 triangles and Brussels 2 triangles.

Of course, everyone has their own style.

Rick Steves focuses mainly on practical, budget-friendly tips and walking routes.

The French Michelin Vert (Michelin Green Guide), an iconic and famous series of travel guidebooks across Europe, focuses on cultural depth, history, and a comprehensive list of sights.
This Michelin Vert awards three stars to Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels.

I stayed in Brussels for about a week in '24. Within walking distance of the Midi station. I did day trips to Bruges, Gent, Tournai, and Antwerp. To me, Brussels was the perfect base for the ease of transportation. Also plenty to see in the city. Yes, the neighborhood I stayed in had large numbers of the type of people that make 'westerners' nervous. Didn't bother me, but maybe because I blend in 😉. The plus was that there were many excellent restaurants to get a good, cheap meal from.

I’m preparing for a similarly short trip to Belgium specifically focused on the Ghent altarpiece. I originally thought I’d stay in Ghent, but realized that actually adds extra transportation to my schedule because Brussels is such a hub. My international arrival and departure are from Brussels and I have to go through Brussels from Ghent for other things I want to do. However, if you want to be in Bruges rather than Brussels for sightseeing, Ghent could make more sense for you than for me.

Regardless, Brussels is a lovely city to visit and to stay in. On my last trip to Belgium, I split my sleeping time between Brussels and Bruges. I’m very happy to be staying there again.

I've stayed in all three, with Ghent being my most recent three months ago. Ghent it absolutely gorgeous. I loved seeing the Grand Place in Brussels and am glad I tackled the tourist crowd in Bruges for a day, but Ghent tops them in my estimation. (Aged female solo traveler who felt absolutely safe in Ghent.

Thank you everyone, very helpful. I was seduced by all the images of Brugges and its canals, but now leaning again towards Ghent or Brussels if that's what my friend wants.

I've stayed in all three, with Ghent being my most recent three months ago. Ghent it absolutely gorgeous

Thank you Janet, this is the confirmation bias/echo chamber I sought, lol.

Still eager for more input though, if anyone else chimes in.
Happy travels

I agree with Janet about Ghent. I stayed there for four days and absolutely loved it. It just had an incredible charm and vibrancy about it that I didn't find elsewhere. I liked Bruges and went there for a day trip, and that was enough for me. My vote would be for Ghent. I think you would really love it.

And for what it's worth, I'm also a solo female traveler and I felt very safe there. I was walking around all over the place, both day and night.

We just returned from Belgium and had a wonderful time in Bruges and Ghent. Brussels is also fine, but it is like any other big European city and fairly crowded (and also some areas are a bit rough).
Bruges and Ghent are very charming, and both could be done in one "long" day. Ghent has a nice castle that you can visit which takes about 90 minutes for the tour. You can do the boat ride in Bruges and skip it in Ghent (even though boat rides in Ghent are less expensive).
We ended up buying train tickets as needed. Their Train+ app is easy to set up and use and saves a fair amount of money so it may be worthwhile to pay for it, but for your two-day stay, it may not be worth it.)
In Brussels, avoid Nord and Midi areas if you can. Brussels Central station and vicinity seem very safe.

I'm in Belgium now and spent about a month in the country last summer. I've often encountered line-ups at ticket machines, so I recommend having the SNCB (Belgiantrains) app on your phone as an alternative unless you prefer to use the website.

The best I can tell, there's no advantage to buying domestic rail tickets in advance, so there's no reason to commit to a specific travel time early on. Off-peak tickets are cheaper, so they're good option if you aren't an early riser.

The Trains+ deal available for a single month at a cost of just 4 euros is a very tourist-friendly option. You need to set up an SNCB membership before you buy Trains+. I had no trouble doing that online last week while in Brussels; I don't know whether there are any wrinkles to be expected if you try to do it from outside the country. With the SNCB membership (with or without Trains+), online ticket purchase through the website is quite fast since your name pre-populates when you sign in and your Trains + number, if any, loads automatically.

I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here. I spent 3 nights in Bruges in April and enjoyed it, but really liked Ghent on my day trip and would probably stay there on a return. But with only 2 nights, if your friend insists on Brussels, I found the area around Central to be far more charming than I had expected (also spent 1 night there). With 2 1/2 days, you know you can’t see it all. And you also know you will most likely be back to Europe so don’t worry about saving someplace for later.