writes:

In the REAL world, think Bravo and you will see why I said not always.

If you are thinking Class B, you can do what you want in Class B, UNLESS ATC
tells you otherwise, and provided of course that you have a clearance into the
airspace before you enter it.

"Maintain VFR at or below 4500" means that you can do what you want, as long
as you stay at or below 4500 feet. The controller says this when he knows that
he doesn't have any conflicting traffic near you below 4500 feet. If he sees a
possible conflict, he'll be more specific, such as "fly heading 250" or
"remain south of the freeway." Once you're given a restriction, you must
observe it until you leave the airspace or ATC cancels it.

The most general instruction for a Class B is simply "maintain VFR," in which
case altitude, speed, and heading are at your discretion, subject to
regulations.