As soon as Buffy Summers showed up in Sunnydale, she was faced with her mission: save the town from vampires and destruction, all while being a normal teenage girl. The main character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is always praised for her independence and strong personality, and this California town is the perfect place for her to begin her hard work.
The characters on Buffy all had big dreams and while everyone faced a lot of surprise and tragedy, everything worked out the way that it was supposed to by the series finale. Just like the characters are unique and stand out from the crowd on Buffy, so do the show's major settings. These places are where all the action and romance and friendship happens, and while they're all significant, some play a more key role in the plot than others.
Helen's Kitchen
In season 3, Buffy left Sunnydale and pretended that her name was Anne. She also got a job as a waitress at Helen's Kitchen.
This was a significant location on the series, as Buffy didn't want to be a vampire slayer anymore and no one was sure if she would ever come back. This is also the place where Buffy realized that she did have to return to Sunnydale. Since it didn't get much screen time, this restaurant is ranked last in terms of locations, but it did play a part in Buffy's character arc and big dilemma.
Crawford Street Mansion
Buffy's main love interests were Angel and Spike but she could have been in relationships with other characters. It's interesting that both Angel and Spike took shelter at this place (and Angel lived there once he began known as Angelus).
Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla lived at Crawford Street Mansion and it appeared in a few episodes. This is where Angelus lived until he moved to L.A. so it was definitely an important setting on the show, although not featured in as many episodes as some of the other sets.
Sunnydale Memorial
Sunnydale Memorial was another major location on the series. In season 5, Joyce was very sick and passed away in the very sad episode "The Body." She spent some time at the hospital, and then died of an aneurysm.
Faith and Buffy also had to go to the hospital after losing blood, an event which put Faith into a coma. Buffy went to the hospital in a few episodes as she did live pretty dangerously, and in season 2's "Killed by Death," she fainted during a terrible bout of the flu and went to the hospital.
The Bronze
At the beginning of the show, The Bronze was the main hang-out for high schoolers in Sunnydale, and also the setting of some dark and creepy supernatural forces. In the pilot, "Welcome to the Hellmouth," Darla was in charge of a group of vampires who went to The Bronze and attempted total destruction.
This club played less of a role in later seasons, but it still deserves a mention as this is where Buffy and her new friends spend a lot of time. It's also an important location as it proved that Buffy wanted to be a normal high school girl who had a great social life.
Giles' Apartment/The Magic Box
Since Giles was Buffy's Watcher, many episodes focused on this character and his home base was also a meeting spot for the main characters.
Giles' living space was very important on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. After the school was ruined (along with the library where Buffy, Giles, and the rest of the gang used to meet up), everyone began going to Giles' apartment. Then everyone began spending time at The Magic Box, which Giles owned. This shop sold all kinds of cool and weird magical objects, driving home the supernatural part of Buffy.
University of California, Sunnydale
The next most significant location on Buffy The Vampire Slayer is UC Sunnydale, where Willow, Oz, and Buffy began their time as students in season 4.
This place means a lot as it was where Buffy began to grow up and wonder if she could really balance a regular life with being the Slayer. Buffy also had a harder time adjusting to college than her pals did. This is also the place where she met Riley, one of her most meaningful love interests, and where Buffy found a new enemy: a creepy group called The Initiative.
Angel's Apartment
Some of the characters had brief romances but the love story between Buffy and Angel is iconic and memorable.
Angel lived at Crawford Street Mansion, but while he still had his soul, he lived in his apartment. Since this is where Angel and Buffy slept together, this place plays a significant role in the show. In the season 2 episode "Surprise," Angel and Buffy had sex for the first time, and after a cliffhanger ending, the next episode "Innocence" saw Angel losing his soul. This is one of the biggest moments of the series, making this one of the most important settings.
Sunnydale Cemeteries
The cemeteries in Sunnydale are confusing and Buffy goes to 12. It can be hard to tell which one she's at since she's there in the dark of night, so all of them count as one major location.
Since Buffy is, of course, slaying vampires here, the cemeteries are the third most important locations on the show. Without this setting, Buffy's life might seem much more normal, but since this is where she hangs out a lot, the show feels just as dark as her mission to defeat vampires.
Buffy's House
At the beginning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, viewers were introduced to Buffy and her mother Joyce, who moved into a house at 1630 Revello Drive. This is the second most important location on the show as it was Buffy's home base while in high school. She would hide this life from her mom and try to be a normal teenage girl and then sneak out constantly to fight vampires.
It's easy to forget some moments from the pilot but Buffy and Joyce's house was always memorable, as it was charming both inside and out.
Sunnydale High School
There are many memorable high schools on TV comedies and the high school on Buffy The Vampire Slayer stands out just as much.
Sunnydale High School was the main location for the first few seasons, as Buffy tried to maintain her life as a typical high school student while fighting vampires in her spare time. The school is also a significant setting as the library was home base for Buffy, Giles, and the rest of the characters. This is where they worked out the threats that they were facing and tried to find solutions, and it was always fun to watch them meeting up.