Sunset Valley

Sunset Valley is the only neighborhood being shipped with The Sims 3. It is very large compared to the neighborhoods in previous The Sims games, having a total of 97 lots with various playable characters. There are lots of different types of houses like, a rustic home on a hill, a modern house in the suburbs, a house by the beach and many more. The main part of the town is the park, where you can have a picnic, go fishing or take a stroll and maybe meet someone new, there are also cinemas, gyms, restaurants, shops, pools, and other recreational facilities. Tons of places to work, where Sims can live out their dreams or crash and burn. Sims can now visit all their friend's and neighbor's homes and call up their friends with the new cell phone, and go out on the town and party. Sims also now can have a laptop.

Sunset Valley is Pleasantview before the original in The Sims, which the neighborhood is named Old Town. The Goth Family will be there as their younger selves, presumably, Mortimer as a child with his parents, as well as many other familiar families, including the Bachelor Family and the Pleasant Family.

New families
So far the new families are:


 * The Wolff Family: A newly married couple living along the beach. It seems like they have the perfect life, but it turns out they rushed into their marriage to quickly before finding out that Thornton Wolff is against fatherhood, while Morgana Wolff wants to have as many children as possible.


 * The Hart Family: They appear to be a normal family...well except the fact that both the mother and father have the insane trait. Their, daughter Bebe Hart is just trying to be a normal teenager in this chaotic family.


 * The Ursine Family: Claire Ursine is a single lady who lives alone and loves to fish. She might seem like a normal woman, but it turns out she's Pregnant (the father is unknown) and she has a job in the Criminal Career!!!


 * The Alto Family: Simply described as "Nouveau Riche and Evil." Their family name may be a pun on the television series "The Sopranos." They seem to have a rivalry with the Landgraab Family. Their teenage daughter Ginia Altos is dating Brad Burb.


 * The Keaton Family: Try to keep up the sporty Keatons. Mrs. Keaton is a police officer but her husband's career is unknown.


 * The Hipp Household: This household was created by Grant Rodiek in a Sims 3 video. It consists of Liam O'Dourke, Kim, and Piper.


 * The Zavarez Family: Rosemarie Zavarez is a grumpy old lady and the sister of Tamina Zavarez. When you first play the game, a baby is left on her doorstep...


 * The Sanchez/Smith Family: Widow Michelle Sanchez is trying to raise her child granddaughter Melissa Smith after her daughter Erica and her husband's tragic death. Will she raise a happy, successful young girl or will Melissa always be a misfit?

Returning families
Families returning from the Sims 1 & Sims 2 nearly 50 years earlier are:


 * The Goth Family: The Goth Family are the founders of Sunset Valley and are very wealthy. Since this is way before The Sims 2, Gunther Goth and his wife Cornelia are adults, with Mortimer Goth as a child. (Mortimer Goth seems to have a crush on Bella.)


 * The Bachelor Family: Jocasta Bachelor is dealing with her husband Simis's recent death while pregnant with her son Michael Bachelor and taking care of her child daughter Bella Bachelor.


 * The Langerak Family: Now you get to have Kaylynn Langerak as a playable child Sim. She actually comes from a wealthy family. She lives with her father Charles Langerak, her mother and maid Tamina Zavarez, her grandmother Prudence Langerak, and her sister Donyelle Langerak. Her father Charles is famous for his many wives who mysteriously died after he found another love interest...


 * The Landgraab Family: Live the good life with the Landgraabs as long as your name isn't name Alto. Consists of Malcolm Landgraab II, Marion Landgraab, and their child son Malcolm Landgraab III.


 * The Crumplebottom Family: Agnes Crumplebottom better known as Mrs. Crumplebottom as her younger self, and her dead husband Robert Crumplebottom featured as a Ghost (see Ghosts).


 * The Buckingham Family: will appear with Blair Buckingham, his wife Virginia Buckingham, and the child Margaret Buckingham. Blair is having an affair with the maid Tamina Zavarez.


 * The Burb Family: The Burb Family recently moved to Sunset Valley to get away from hectic city life. Even though they just got here, Brad is already dating Ginia Altos! But is she the right girl for him or a mistake? It consists of Benjamin Burb, his wife Susan Burb, and their teenage son Brad Burb.


 * The Marsh Family: The Marsh Family consists of William Marsh, Anastasia Marsh, and their teenage daughter Tiffany Burb/Tiffany Marsh. Tiffany has a crush on Brad Burb, but he's dating Ginia Alto, so she's trying to break them up.


 * The Pleasant Family: will appear as Jeff Pleasant starting his military job, Diane Pleasant pregnant with Jennifer Burb and Daniel Pleasant as a toddler.


 * The Oldie Family: Herb Oldie and Coral Oldie recently moved in together, but aren't married yet.