Editing Sunnydale (section)

===Sunnydale itself===
Sunnydale's size and surroundings are implausible but justified given its origins — to sustain a human population for supernatural evils to prey upon. The town's founder spared no expense to attract a populace, and Sunnydale thus contains many elements of a large city — which the show's writers utilized fully for comic effect and narrative convenience. During the first three seasons, Sunnydale is shown to have 38,500 inhabitants,<ref>The "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign says 38,500 in two early episodes: "School Hard" (2.03) and "Lovers Walk" (3.08).</ref> very few [[High school (North America)|high school]]s,<ref>In "Some Assembly Required" (2.02), the three dead cheerleaders attended Fondren High, which is "across town" from Sunnydale High. In "Reptile Boy" (2.05), Kent Preparatory School is mentioned. In "Dead Man's Party" (3.02) Joyce mentions a local all-girls school named Miss Porter's. Yet in most episodes "the high school" refers specifically to Sunnydale High.</ref> forty-three churches,<ref>Giles is surprised at this figure in "What's My Line, Part Two" (2.10).</ref> a small private college,<ref>Crestwood College is featured in "Reptile Boy" (2.05) but never mentioned again.</ref> a zoo,<ref>there are three visits to the zoo in "The Pack" (1.06), including a class trip and one trip by Buffy on foot.</ref> a museum,<ref>The museum director who receives the box containing the demon Acathla in "Becoming, Part One" (2.21) refers to Giles as being "right here in Sunnydale".</ref> and one modest main street. Even so, it has twelve [[Gothic novel|gothic]] [[Cemetery|cemeteries]].<ref>According to Giles in "[[q:Buffy the Vampire Slayer#Revelations|Revelations]]" (3.07).</ref> These cemeteries are so heavily used that services are sometimes held at night.<ref name="OMWF">"[[Once More, with Feeling (Buffy episode)|Once More, with Feeling]]" (6.07).</ref> Sunnydale is divided into five neighborhoods. The first is the entertainment district which contains the Bronze, Sunnydale's nightclub, which attracts some well-known artists despite a clientele consisting mainly of high-school kids. The second consists of the alleys directly behind Bronze, housing the town's surplus supply of pallets and cardboard. The high school makes up the third neighborhood. The fourth neighborhood is entirely occupied by a large graveyard, and finally, the suburban residential sprawl forms the last neighborhood. The prevalence of very nice homes is made possible by low property values resulting from frequent murders.<ref name="Villians">"Villains" (6.20)</ref>

In later seasons it is revealed that Sunnydale contains a campus of the [[University of California]] system, as well as a profitable magic supply shop. The town is also seen to include a large park containing a creek and a lake,<ref name="OMWF"/> and one of its cemeteries is shown to be adjacent to a lake.<ref>"Help" (7.04).</ref> Sunnydale has a number of parks: Weatherly Park, Glebe Park, Radcliff Park and Nelson Park are just some of the examples.

Sunnydale has a train station,<ref>Buffy finds dead bodies in the train in "Crush" (5.14).</ref> a bus station,<ref>The bus station is shown in "Inca Mummy Girl" (2.04), "What's My Line, Part One" (2.09), and "Showtime" (7.11), and mentioned in "Innocence" (2.14).</ref> a small airport,<ref>Kendra arrives by plane in "What's My Line, Part One" (2.09), and the airport itself is shown in "Choices" (3.19) and "Who Are You" (4.16) as well as "Bargaining I" (6.01). The airport shown in this episode is actually [[Bob Hope Airport|Burbank Airport]] with "Sunnydale" photoshopped over the word "Burbank". In "Tabula Rasa" (6.08), Giles's ticket shows an itinerary from Sunnydale Airport to [[Los Angeles International Airport]] and then to [[London Heathrow Airport]], which is the same route announced on the public address system as Giles awaits his flight in "Bargaining, Part I" (6.01).</ref> and a small military base.<ref>In "Innocence" (2.14), Xander and Cordelia break into the base to steal a rocket launcher as part of his plan to destroy the Judge.</ref> There is also a seaport with a harbor deep enough to allow the docking of coastal freighters.<ref>In Episode 3/14, "Bad Girls," Faith disposes of the body of the Deputy Mayor by weighting it down and sinking it in the harbor. In Episode 3/19, "Choices," a box containing the mystic spiders Mayor Wilkins has to consume as part of the Ascension process comes in by water and the docks are shown.</ref>

Directly beneath Sunnydale High School is a Hellmouth, a subterranean, mystical portal that attracts evil forces. This functions as a major plot device in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', as it explains why [[Vampire (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|vampires]] and other demons are so prevalent in Sunnydale. Also beneath the school is a small pool of sea water with an outlet to the Pacific Ocean.<ref>In "Go Fish," the gill monsters gather under a grate to receive victims from their creator, Coach Marin (as in "marine"). At the end of the episode, the monsters swim away to the sea.</ref>

Sunnydale exhibits many common horror-movie characteristics, including an abundance of dark alleyways, abandoned mansions, and factories. The adult population is either clueless or perpetually in denial, in stark contrast to the demon-fighting, supernaturally aware teens.

By the show's seventh season, set in 2002–03, the city's population had fallen to 32,900.<ref>The "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign says 32,900 in "Conversations with Dead People" (7.07).</ref> In the spring, the town was almost completely evacuated.