Write what you know

I read this last night in John Grisham's "Sycamore Row: "He was working in a bar in Juneau, Alaska, in a seedy section of town where sailors and deckhands and roustabouts gathered to drink and shoot dice and blow off steam. A couple of ferocious bouncers kept the peace, but it was always fragile."
     Now, I have only been to Juneau maybe four times, but in those times I don't recall ever seeing a "seedy section." However three of those four times I approached from seaside and after weeks at sea, the sleaziest bar on earth could look like heaven if the beer was cold and the women were hot.
     Still I don't believe there is a seedy part of Juneau, unless as some might suggest it's the places where legislators hang out during sessions.
     More I think Mr. Grisham should have at least done a little research or at best spent a day or two there.  The third choice might have been Ketchikan when the Rock was rocking and Creek Street was in full bloom.
     Except for that, so far I am enjoying the book tremendously.

A comment from Facebook:

Sharon Wright I lived in Juneau in 1971 and lived in the "seedy" area of South Franklin Street with Phil Haney in an apartment in a run down building. We were right above the Top Hat Bar, one of those hallway bars with a long bar the length of the hall with single tables for 2 against the other wall. Yes, there were rough characters doing shots in that bar. Never saw any sailors or deckhands there. Just old men. I'm not going to get into it now, but one night going home, a couple of scraggly ugly drunk native men tried to drag me away from Phil & he had to get into it with them. He made them run up one of the hillside staircases. So, yes, Juneau actually had a "seedy" stretch of blocks. But the seediest area IMHO was up at Baranof Hotel where the legislators gathered to drink & make deals.