The Sims 2 allows you to do a lot of things with your Sim, but you need a place to do them. The base game comes with three pre-made neighborhoods that you can settle down in. The Seasons, Free Time, and Apartment Life expansions each brought in special neighborhoods of their own.
Each neighborhood is unique in its own way, but some do stand out more than others. Chances are, you don’t want just any old place to move your beloved Sim into. No, you want the best of the best.
6 Desiderata Valley
Introduced in the Free Time expansion pack for the Sims 2, Desiderata Valley is described as being “serenely nestled in the hills.” Indeed, Desiderata Valley is a neighborhood surrounded by hills, and it’s certainly far from a bustling metropolis. With twenty-three available lots, its size is quite average, which is also how you'd describe the neighborhood.
Desiderata Valley is not bad, but it’s nothing special either. There’s green grass, lots of trees, and a nearby lake – but none of those things set it apart from the other neighborhoods in the game.
5 Pleasantview
Undoubtedly the most well-known neighborhood in the Sims 2, Pleasantview is a place you’re likely very familiar with. However, it really isn’t the neighborhood itself that makes it iconic, but rather the Sims that live there. Pleasantview itself is pretty plain. It’s a suburban sprawl with twenty-six lots and a total value of 1,447,983 Simoleons.
The large bridge in the back of the town does add a certain level of visual interest. That being said, it remains a pretty unexciting place to look at. If you’re going to move your Sim here, chances are you’re interested in the residents themselves and not the location.
4 Veronaville
Ah, fair Veronaville. Inspired by the town of Verona from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this Sims 2 neighborhood is a lovely little European-styled hamlet. It's situated smack dab in the middle of a canal, with the feuding Capp and Monty families located on either side.
The neighborhood is quite pleasant to look at, with its inclusion of both Tudor and Mediterranean-style architecture. Veronaville is also the second most valuable of the pre-made neighborhoods in the game at 1,614,811 Simoleons. Overall, it’s a solid place to live, especially if you’re looking for a European feel.
3 Strangetown
Strangetown is distinctly unique from the other neighborhoods, largely due to the fact that it is set in a desert. You won’t find lush greenery or thriving fields in Strangetown, but that’s part of what makes it so interesting. Instead of cute little landmarks like bridges, ponds, or clusters of trees, in Strangetown you’ll find bizarre rock formations, transmission towers, and a huge crater with a UFO in the centre.
All that being said, this neighborhood does have some drawbacks, and the biggest one is its size. Strangetown is the smallest neighborhood in the game with a measly eleven lots.
2 Riverblossom Hills
Introduced in the Sims 2 Seasons expansion pack, Riverblossom Hills is a beautiful little gem hidden away in the countryside. What this little neighborhood lacks in number of lots, it makes up for with undeniable charm. When you first load into Riverblossom Hills, you will find it covered in a thick blanket of snow, which immediately makes it visually different from the other neighborhoods in-game. The various fields and farms that dot the area really make you feel like you’re experiencing a rustic getaway.
1 Belladonna Cove
When Maxis created the final expansion pack for the Sims 2, it went all out with its neighborhood, Belladonna Cove. Not only is it the largest neighborhood in the game with a whopping forty-nine lots, but it also has a total value of over five million Simoleons.
It isn’t sheer numbers alone that make Belladonna Cove impressive, it’s also the fact that it is the only one of the main six pre-made neighborhoods that have a metropolitan set-up. Belladonna Cove comes with a bevy of different apartments, from cheap trailers to luxurious penthouses. Not to mention the iconic Bella statue located in the center.