Summary
Picking a place to settle down can be hard. Urban, suburban, rural - it’s a hard choice. Fortunately,The Sims 2has plenty of options to choose from. The neighborhoods in The Sims 2 are chock-full with personality. They’re bursting with colorful characters and even more colorful lore for your Sims to explore.
The Sims 2 has fourteen different neighborhoods to choose from when it comes to placing Sims. Some of these are temporary locations, like vacation spots or universities. Others seem more transitory, but they can actually be lived in.
14Three Lakes
Bigfoot, And Pancakes, And Axes (Oh My)
The Sims 2didn’t introduce vacations, but it did introduce specific neighborhoods for different kinds of vacations. Three vacation neighborhoods were added in Bon Voyage, and Three Lakes is one of them. Three Lakes is themed after camping trips in the great outdoors.
Sims can have campfires and roast s’mores, go axe throwing, devour stacks of pancakes, and even meet Bigfoot! While it isn’t the most exciting of the three locations, Three Lakes is charming.
13Takemizu Village
Take-mizu A Trip Here
Takemizu Village may be the smallest of the neighborhoods, but it has plenty of style. This is the second of the three vacation neighborhoods, and it is inspired by Japan. Here, Sims are able to explore beautiful zen gardens, take a relaxing dip in the hot springs, and even learn how to teleport.
Taking tours is a great way to get the most out of your vacations. Takemizu Village is also home to Lucky Shrines which Sims can toss coins into to get good luck - or a curse…
12Twikkii Island
A Tropical Get Away
Who doesn’t love a tropical vacation? Twikkii Island is the best of the vacation spots purely for the amount of things to do - and in the ways it advanced the series.
Twikki Island is notable for introducing ocean swimming to the series. It is filled with lush beaches where Sims can jump right into the sea. Sims are also welcome to amuse themselves by exploring pirate ships and ruins, building sandcastles, or learning how to hula.
11Bluewater Village
Rhapsody In Blue-Water
Bluewater Village is one of the neighborhoods that can be added to a main neighborhood. It was primarily made to show off Open For Business’s Business system, but it is also open to residential life.
Bluewater Village is pretty small and simple, but there is some fun lurking here. There’s plenty of shops to visit, and the neighborhood is perfect for those looking to start their own store. For those Sims who are more fiscally minded, there are some very eligible bachelors residing in this town.
10Desiderata Valley
Hobbies In Paradise
If you’re looking for a small town with a lot of personality, Desiderata Valley is the place for you. Added in Freetime, this town’s culture is dedicated to pursuing your own interests. It is a little on the small side, and the lore is a bit more disjointed than the other ‘main’ neighborhoods.
Still, Desiderata Valley has plenty of charm. It is most notable for having the only official Grilled Cheese Aspiration Sim, Ms. Natasha Una. That’s a tourist stop in its own right.
9Downtown
Downtown, Everything’s Greater There
Whether you’re looking for a bargain, some fun, Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now, Downtown has everything a Sim could want. Introduced in the Nightlife expansion, Downtown is a celebration of everything urban. It can be added to any town with a click of a button,making visiting Downtowna dream.
Did you know you could live in the Downtown neighborhood? It’s true! Most of Downtown is dedicated to public lots like nightclubs or restauraunts, but you can in fact live Downtown. Plop down some houses and live that urban life.
8Academie Le Tour
Le University Du Sim
Universities were introduced to the franchise in The Sims 2, and they were introduced alongside three university neighborhoods. While only Young Adults can live here (and only if they’re enrolled in school), they’re fully developed towns in their own right.
Academie Le Tour is the pseudo-Harvard of the Sims universe. It’s a bit snooty and posh, but the Sims here know how to party with the best of them. It has ties to Veronaville, but it can be added to any town.
7Sim State University
We Are! Sim State!
If Academie La Tour is the Harvard of the Sims universe, Sim State University is the beloved state university. There’s no academic difference in universities, but if your Sims are looking for a more laid-back place to study, Sim State may be the school for them.
Sim State University is generally linked to Pleasantville, but Sims from all over can attend its hallowed halls. Design-wise, it is very similar to Academie La Tour, but it has a more modern charm.
6La Fiesta Tech
The Jewel Of The Desert
Looking for a truly unique college experience? La Fiesta Tech may be located in the boiling hot desert, but make no mistake: this school is as cool as it gets.
This college earns major points for having a different style than the others. La Fiesta Tech, which is associated with Strangetown, is a play on more modern technical universities that produce the scientists of tomorrow. Notable townies include Stella Terrano, one of two pre-made and playable alien Sims in the Sims 2.
5Riverblossom Hills
A Town For All Seasons
Riverlossom Hills was introduced alongside dynamic weather to the series. It was primarily designed to showcase this new feature. It is a town filled with rolling hills and open field, all of which is perfect to watch the changes of the seasons in.
Riverblossom Hills is the home to the Plantsims, as they are said to dwell somewhere within the mountains around the town. It also has a number of Sims inspired by Pleasantview, so if you’d like to play weird copies of the originals, Riverblossom Hills is the town for you.
