Besmirching someone (or place's) good name

So here's the problem. I am writing a story about a travel writer (who never travels). So far things have gone well. Chestertown is a lovely town and I've represented it as such in the story. But now we're saying farewell and we'll be back to Chestertown.

The story needs some serious action. We've made good old Jane comfortable, confident even that traveling can be okay -- even if you don't like it one bit.

So I've added a drunk friend (we'll talk about her troubles at another time) and planned all sorts of obstacles, the fun stuff.

But the next town on our journey was to be adorable New Castle, Delaware. I love New Castle. I love the funny, dark Jessop's Tavern where you're sure a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder will come bounding at any moment. Of course, he'd come in a good mood.

I love the little shops -- except the antique shop that smells like used kitty litter and has great stuff but it's all overpriced and the owner is just obnoxious. By the way, you won't find his shop in my Frommer's guide. No publicity is better here than bad publicity. He, however, may appear in my story. His kind can ruin a lovely day of travel research; and this kind is always a surprise to me.

The streets are quaint (it's the right word here) and the history is colonial and the water views are breathtaking, especially if you like to see smokestacks and factory thingies in your view.

I like New Castle and I want to base the next section of my story here. It goes so well with Chestertown and Annapolis, the two previous locations. But I don't want to give the wrong impression -- that it's a stinky place and stay away!!

Would it be better to create a fictitious place based on New Castle?

On the other hand, didn't I just say bad publicity is better than no publicity? And, after all, there's going to be no publicity here. This is just a story among friends, right?

So. New Castle it is!