For the past few years, when ever I played the SIms 2 I played a hood from scratch and used the Maxis subhoods.

I've had to install the game three times, and each time I just played Pleasantview. I have minimal interest in building anything, and I really like all the characters that live in Pleasantview - so I'm very happy to just play that pre-made neighborhood.

I have been simming for a long time, since the game was released but I was quite of a restricted player in the past that would just stick to the stuff the the gamecould offer me, so I played mostly pleasantview for many years and then, when the apartment life expansion pack came out, I started playing belladona Cove.
Still I would always make some changes as placing more lots and changing hood deco as I pleased, cause I did not like the way maxis placed the houses, trees and stuff.
Only last year I started using mods, cc and broadening my gameplay to other possibilities, therefore, I recently got simcity 4 and now I am going to build my hood from scratch