Our men’s sober living homes sit in four Westside neighborhoods (Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City), and the sober apartments are in West Los Angeles. We have no homes in the Gateway Cities. This page is for men from Downey, Whittier, Norwalk, Compton, South Gate, Bellflower, Lakewood, Lynwood, Huntington Park, Pico Rivera and their neighbors who are looking west for sober housing, roughly 16 to 36 miles away by road (approximate figures).
For the apartments, schedule an apartment tour.
The Gateway Cities by population
Southeast LA County is a dense band of mid-sized cities between Downtown and Orange County. Each is its own city with its own government. Approximate road miles from Mar Vista:
- Downey: about 113,100 residents, roughly 23 miles (Census Bureau 2022 estimate via LA Almanac)
- Norwalk: about 101,900, roughly 28 miles (same source)
- Compton: about 94,800, roughly 18 miles (same source)
- South Gate: about 92,400, roughly 19 miles (same source)
- Whittier: about 84,100, roughly 31 miles (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2023 estimate)
- Lakewood about 81,500 and Bellflower about 78,400, roughly 27 and 25 miles (Census Bureau 2022 estimate via LA Almanac)
- Pico Rivera: about 59,400, roughly 26 miles; Huntington Park: about 51,900, roughly 16 miles (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Mileage is estimated, not routed, so use a map for your exact trip.
The east to west lines
The Gateway Cities have something few other regions do: bus lines that run in a straight line west toward the coast and the airport.
- Metro 108. Runs from Pico Rivera along Slauson Avenue all the way to Marina del Rey, passing through Huntington Park on the way (Los Angeles Metro). It is the most direct cited bus from this region to the Westside coast.
- Metro 110. Runs from Bell Gardens along Gage Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard to Playa Vista.
- Metro C Line. Runs from Norwalk west through Lynwood to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, which opened June 6, 2025. There you can change to the K Line north to Expo/Crenshaw and the E Line west.
- Metro 111. Runs from Norwalk Station along Florence Avenue to the LAX/Metro Transit Center.
- Metro 117 and 120. The 117 runs from Downey along Imperial Highway and Century Boulevard to the LAX/Metro Transit Center; the 120 runs from Whittwood Center in Whittier along Imperial Highway to the same place.
Stops for most of these cities are not confirmed in our data, so check metro.net for yours. Bellflower, Lakewood, Compton, South Gate and Cerritos have no single cited line here.
Why men from the Gateway Cities come west
Some men from this region still live a few miles from where they grew up, and they know exactly which streets to avoid and which friends not to call. Knowing does not always make it easier. A move of 20 or 30 miles west puts those streets out of reach while family stays a bus ride away.
The new connection at the LAX/Metro Transit Center has made the trip simpler for men with jobs near the airport, and the Westside’s recovery community, with meetings throughout the day, is a big draw for men who want more support around them than they had at home.
We will not oversell it. If your job, your kids or your outpatient program are in Norwalk or Downey, the commute matters, and we will help you think it through before you commit.
Which fits you?
Men leaving treatment usually do best starting in sober living, where drug testing happens 3 times a week, alcohol testing happens daily, medication management systems are in place and families and providers get weekly updates. Full time jobs and local college classes are both possible. Home tours can be in person or virtual.
Men who have some time and stability can look at the sober apartments in West Los Angeles: furnished, month to month, utilities and WiFi included, with weekly random drug and alcohol testing and no curfew. They take men from anywhere who qualify. Schedule an apartment tour, or call or text (888) 305-5422.
For families and professionals in the Gateway Cities
A virtual tour of a sober living home is an easy start for families in Whittier or Lakewood who cannot get away in the middle of the week. After he moves in, our sober living homes send weekly updates to families, providers and treatment teams. The free virtual family support group, every other Tuesday from 6 to 7 PM Pacific, is led by a licensed therapist from Blackburn Clinical Services. We also offer sober transport and sober companion support. More on our families page and the treatment professionals page.
The county’s public Substance Abuse Service Helpline is 1-800-854-7771, option 2 (LA County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control).
Questions from the Gateway Cities
Is there a direct bus from Pico Rivera to the Westside?
Yes. Metro 108 runs from Pico Rivera along Slauson Avenue all the way to Marina del Rey. Check metro.net for current times and your nearest stop.
How do I get from Norwalk to the Westside by train?
Ride the Metro C Line west to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, switch to the K Line north to Expo/Crenshaw, then take the E Line west.
Can I keep working in Downey while living on the Westside?
Some men can. Downey is roughly 23 miles away, and Metro 117 links it to the LAX/Metro Transit Center along Imperial Highway. Whether it works depends on your hours, so we will look at them together.
Do I have to do sober living before the apartments?
No. The apartments are open to anyone who qualifies. If you are coming straight from treatment, though, we may recommend sober living first.
Nearby places and regions
Place pages: Downey and Whittier. Neighboring regions: South LA, Harbor and Long Beach, San Gabriel Valley and Eastside and Northeast LA. Back to all areas in Los Angeles County.
For the apartments, schedule an apartment tour.