The drive from Van Nuys to Sunshine Sober Living at 5650 Donna Avenue in Tarzana runs about seven miles on surface streets: west on Victory Boulevard through the Sepulveda Basin, south on Reseda Boulevard, west on Burbank Boulevard, then north on Donna Avenue. Allow eighteen to twenty-five minutes outside rush hour.
These are directions to Sunshine Sober Living from Van Nuys written the way a friend gives them: the turns in order, and the honest version of the traffic. Two routes work. One stays on surface streets across the Sepulveda Basin, the other uses US-101 and is faster only when the freeway behaves.
Whichever way you come, the last three turns are the same and the street at the end is quieter than most people expect. First-time visitors can read about the house from a Van Nuys perspective beforehand, or compare it with the Sherman Oaks side of the Valley.
The Van Nuys G Line station has been closed since February 2025 for rebuilding as an elevated station, with buses stopping temporarily on Oxnard Street until completion expected in December 2027.
From Van Nuys Boulevard at Victory Boulevard, head west on Victory for about five miles, straight through the Sepulveda Basin. After the basin the blocks turn residential. Go south on Reseda Boulevard for roughly a mile to Burbank Boulevard, west on Burbank, then north on Donna Avenue. Seven miles door to door, and eighteen to twenty-five minutes in normal traffic.
The freeway version runs south on Van Nuys Boulevard to US-101 west, then off at Reseda Boulevard: roughly nine miles, fifteen to twenty-five minutes off-peak. At rush hour it is often slower, because the 405 and 101 interchange sits at the southern corner of Van Nuys and carries the heaviest freeway congestion in the central Valley. From the north side of the district, I-405 south to the Burbank Boulevard exit also works.
Donna Avenue is residential. The house sits just north of Burbank Boulevard, between Wilbur Avenue and Vanalden Avenue, two blocks from Tarzana Recreation Center. There is street parking and no reason to circle the block. Nothing outside advertises what the building is, which residents and their families tend to appreciate. Both the men’s house and the women’s house are reached the same way.
Yes, with patience. Metro Line 164 runs west along Victory Boulevard toward Reseda and Tarzana, the most direct transit link between the two districts. Note that the Van Nuys G Line station has been closed since February 2025 while it is rebuilt as an elevated station, with completion expected in December 2027; buses use a temporary stop on Oxnard Street meanwhile, so allow extra time and check the schedule before travelling.
Bring identification, a written list of current medications and the doctors who prescribe them, insurance details or a completed verification form, and any discharge paperwork from a treatment program. Bring questions too, including the ones that feel rude. If you are making the drive on behalf of somebody who is refusing to go, that standoff is more common than it feels.
From Van Nuys Boulevard at Victory Boulevard, head west on Victory Boulevard about five miles – straight through the Sepulveda Basin – to Reseda Boulevard, south on Reseda Boulevard about a mile to Burbank Boulevard, west on Burbank Boulevard, then north on Donna Avenue. The freeway alternative runs south on Van Nuys Boulevard to US-101 west and off at Reseda Boulevard. That is about 7 miles via Victory Boulevard, about 9 miles via US-101, roughly 18-25 minutes via Victory Boulevard, 15-25 minutes via the freeway off-peak and considerably longer at rush hour through the 405/101 interchange.
Sunshine Sober LivingOn the street. Donna Avenue is a residential block north of Burbank Boulevard, and space is usually available within a short walk of the door. Park considerately, since neighbors live on both sides. There is no visitor lot and no permit requirement, so nothing needs arranging in advance of a first visit.
Coming west on US-101, the Reseda Boulevard exit leaves a short drive to the house. From I-405, the Burbank Boulevard exit is the useful one, with the Victory Boulevard and Sherman Way exits serving the northern side of the district. Each of them feeds onto surface streets that reach Donna Avenue within minutes.
Longer than the map suggests, especially by freeway. The interchange at the southern corner of the district backs up badly at peak hours and sits directly on the freeway route. Victory Boulevard stays comparatively steady, so between four and seven in the evening the surface streets usually win even though they look slower.
Call ahead on 866-216-9789 and say when you expect to arrive. Transit between the districts works, but with the G Line station closed for rebuilding the connections take longer than they used to, and arriving late for a first appointment is a poor start. A call the day before makes the visit easier.
Sunshine Sober Living provides structured recovery housing and transitional living. Medical detoxification, residential clinical treatment and other higher levels of care are provided by appropriately licensed treatment providers, and our admissions team can arrange a referral. Recovery is personal, and no sober living program can guarantee a particular outcome. If you or someone you love needs immediate help, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free and confidential on 1-800-662-4357, 24 hours a day.
One practical note before you set off: recovery housing is somewhere you move into rather than somewhere you are admitted, since in California it is licensed services that trigger facility licensing. Research on sober living houses records average stays of 254 and 166 days, so this is a place worth seeing in person. Anyone wanting directions to Sunshine Sober Living from Van Nuys can call 866-216-9789 or use the contact page and the intake form.