Okay, skimmed all the comments, as not to repeat info.
Google Streetview is one of my tools, as is flickr for gorgeous, tony photos of your area-in-question. Commenters have also touched on emotional honesty and details that are likely to hold true, regardless of locale. But my secret weapons is vacation blogs. Look for folks (with your Google-fu) who have blogged about visiting your mystery spot on a vacation or live there and simply love their city. Tourist books tend to glamorize spots and may not necessarily be as current as you'd like.
Also, hunt down the adventures of Anthony Bourdain (http://www.anthonybourdain.net/) or Andrew Zimmern (http://andrewzimmern.com/). They get beneath the surface of the places and people they visit and avoid the tourist traps.
Specifics such as bus routes, you'll just have to research independently or put out an all-call for beta readers who are familiar with your location.
And I'd also like to add that it's okay to fictionalize your setting a little, think of it as a character unto itself. Almost personify it. If you approach it from an atypical viewpoint, who's to say you're right or wrong, yanno?
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Google Streetview is one of my tools, as is flickr for gorgeous, tony photos of your area-in-question. Commenters have also touched on emotional honesty and details that are likely to hold true, regardless of locale. But my secret weapons is vacation blogs. Look for folks (with your Google-fu) who have blogged about visiting your mystery spot on a vacation or live there and simply love their city. Tourist books tend to glamorize spots and may not necessarily be as current as you'd like.
Also, hunt down the adventures of Anthony Bourdain (http://www.anthonybourdain.net/) or Andrew Zimmern (http://andrewzimmern.com/). They get beneath the surface of the places and people they visit and avoid the tourist traps.
Specifics such as bus routes, you'll just have to research independently or put out an all-call for beta readers who are familiar with your location.
And I'd also like to add that it's okay to fictionalize your setting a little, think of it as a character unto itself. Almost personify it. If you approach it from an atypical viewpoint, who's to say you're right or wrong, yanno?
Hope this helps!