How do you adress writing about real places, in your work?

with major cities I can understand that they are mostly public domain, but what about locations like small towns.

do you try and get their permission to use them? or do you just write it with the assumption it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

Or for that matter is permission really needed if it established that it is a work of fiction?

just asking, cause during the research phase of my current project, I found a town that pretty much fit the bill as far as location goes...

Or do I make some place up....though I really rather prefer useing real places as they help give a more solid sense of reality to the work.

While I'm at it what about locations of employment?

Such as one of my characters is a professor at a community college,   can I use an actual institution? Do I have to ask permission? or is it easier to make something up cause the permission is so hard to obtain?


Any help would be most gratefully accepted

Writer in Limbo
Harte