Perfect location for living sober in a safe women's only house. Added bonus were the kittehs.

I really liked Westside Willows. It's a cute place to sober up at. It looked like a nice place. The owner seemed nice and clean and the location is right by the beach. I recommend it for anyone trying to quit the games and get real. read more

This is NOT a safe supportive environment, which is what women in early recovery need. I'm not certain why Terrence, the homeowner who is in recovery, is in this business with Anne-Isabelle Burs, the director. She is lacking the interpersonal skills needed to deal with women at their most vulnerable time. She is notorious for privacy violations, and being verbally abusive to clients. The house speaks for itself, for this price and location it SHOULD be either full, or on a wait list however it is always half empty. What the director should realize is that the recovery community in LA is well connected and well aware of the unethical mistreatment of women here. Mr Schoskinski, you should get out of business with this woman. She is detrimental to your business, if you are genuinely in the business of wanting to help people. It is also common knowledge to anyone that knows Anne-Isabelle and how she speaks that the review written here by 'Natasha R' singing the director's praises were in fact written by her own hand. Yelp should remove it. read more

This is NOT an environment where one can thrive. The owner cares more about the 3 cats than she does about the lodgers. I should know, I Iived there for as long as I could until I was HARASSED to the point it made me physically ill. I had to block phone numbers because of the texting abuse. This is not OK and at no point will it ever be OK. The rules change depending on the person and whether the BOW DOWN to Anne. Micro manage this review.... read more

Recently, as a resident of Westside Willows, I had the opportunity to photograph some of the interior. For anyone interested, here are a few pics that may give you an idea of what it looks like inside. read more

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Westside willows gave me the support and structure I needed to get to a healthy place and become a woman I can be proud of. I find the other reviews ridiculous because the bottom line is if you are serious about recovering westside willows is an incredible opportunity. I am beyond grateful for the kindness and love shown to me by the house mom and the director. After a year I am ready to move to my own place, I have a great career and most importantly I'm a strong sober woman. read more

... Works for Me! I have lived at Westside Willows for a while now, and can honestly say that it has everything that I was looking for in transitional housing after my in-patient rehab at CLARE. In looking at my options, I made a list of criteria that would aid me in my decision of where to live next. Here's what I considered for a place to start building my new clean & sober life... LOCATION.. I hoped that I could find a place somewhat close to the beach, as this is where I find my serenity and inspiration. W.W. is just 1 mile from the beach in Venice, right off Lincoln, near Rose. Because If you don't drive, it is an asset to be right next to the SM BBB #3 Bus line, which connects with every other bus in the city, as well as to the Expo Line train. This is the most convenient location that I have ever lived in, because all within a short walk are so many things that I use on a regular basis; 3 major Grocery stores, 3 Pharmacies, Coffee, Ross, Restaurants & Fast Food, Banks, Hardware and Office Supplies. There is also a comprehensive medical facility nearby - The Venice Family Clinic. And don't forget my favorite... the 99cent store! But in all seriousness, by far the most important resource, (and 2 blocks away,) is The Venice Recovery Center (VRC), where there's tons of AA meetings, 7 held 7 days a week... morning, noon and night. PRICE. Maybe you are fortunate enough that money is no object... but right now, I'm not. WW is a large house in a decent neighborhood of Venice, bordering Santa Monica. Trust me, you won't find anything else in this area at a reasonable price. The residents are responsible for buying their own food and amenities, (which is fine because I like my own stuff!) We also purchase our household items, that we pitch in for once a week, and there is an in-house coin laundry. STRUCTURE. So far, I have found this to be highly effective in keeping me accountable, while getting acclimated to a sober lifestyle and taking on more responsibility. Living here requires only a minimal amount of discipline and an ability to comply with some basic rules. It is necessary to have and to work with a sponsor, attend 12 step meetings, do a daily chore and be at the mandatory Weekly House Meeting. It is also necessary to begin some form of productive activity, by working, attending an outpatient program, going to school or training, or doing regular volunteer work. This is not a flop house or a place to "practice" being sober, as there is a strict "No-Tolerance Policy" regarding drugs & alcohol. ENVIRONMENT. By this I mean the people you are surrounded with, and their energy... Happy, Healthy, Creative, Compassionate, POSITIVE energy. This is where I've learned to communicate, co-operate and co-exist with others, to set new boundaries and apply the tools that I have acquired in order to stay clean. I find that every experience is an opportunity for understanding and growth. I still find it remarkable that so many women can not only live together in harmony, but can actually thrive. We support each other, encourage each other, and help each other. I have never laughed so much and felt so completely understood, as I do with the beautiful women that I have come to know here. I truly love my housemates and sober sisters, and I am so grateful to have the pleasure of taking this incredible and challenging journey with them all. So, if you're looking for housing and serious about your recovery, it's a great place to start! read more

I found this place for one of my good friends a couple of years ago. Never took the time to write a review but I feel I should as I could not believe the couple of bad reviews I just read. I am disappointed that Yelp has chosen to ignore all the good reviews from past lodgers. Please scroll down and you will notice it says "reviews not recommended". I am not sure how this work but it seems every review should be treated the same. Hint, hint yelp! I love you guys but this not right. Shame on you! Let's see if my review gets posted ;) So I came a couple of years ago with my best-friend. She had been in and out of rehab and sober homes for years. There are so many bad ones out there but I guess maybe she was simply not ready to get sober yet. I had never been in a sober living home and I did not know what to expect. Even more so because Westside Willows' prices seemed too good to be true. My friend and I loved the place. The director was so nice and funny. She made my friend very confortable as she could clearly see she was very anxious. She spent over an hour explaining the rules and expectations. We never felt rushed or judged like at some other places. This place was very clean and homy, it felt like a real home. We met some of the women who lived there and there was really a good vide in the house. My friend did not have enough money to move in but the director worked out a payment and even guided my friend to find work. My friend stayed there for almost a year and moved back to Europe. She is still sober, the longest she has ever been. She always says that it is because of Westside Willows and their tough love. Ladies, there is some real support in that house and the rules are perfect for someone who is ready to work on their recovery. read more

I have to write this because I wanted to see for myself if the negative reviews were correct. I had an appointment to tour the home. Upon approaching the house there was police activity and a woman's belongings spread out in the front yard. You can barely access the house due to the overgrown unmanaged weeds. The manager was apparently taking a shower while the police were inside the home taking care of a resident who had clearly relapsed. The manager came out and when i asked her what were the police doing she said we are trying to keep the residents safe from another resident. Remember the manager was taking a shower while the police were there. Huh???The home looks like a delapitated abandoned house. I find it crazy to think you pay rent, have to use coin operated machines for laundry and is responsible for your own food and cleaning supplies. The owners clearly do not take care of anything and at the price they quite, they are scamming these women. The house has a stench like no other and the pics are deceiving. They don't even have someone to mow or remove the weeds from the front. This place is not safe, unkempt, and needs to be investigated. I would not leave my own daughter or a friend in this place EVER. read more

Explore all options before hand. There are 3 new sober livings opening up that really nicely operated and in the same price range as this trap house. Management isn't the best at west side willows . They are not involved at all with the property at all. All property owners responsibilities are pushed on the clients. Money is the main objective with this house not recovery. If you need a spot on a very temporary basis then its good but there are better options. Blankets are used as curtains, futon as a couch that smells like cat pee even after its been hand washed several times. Anne can be nice but will switch up on you in a heart beat. Terrance (mail) is hiding from bill collectors and lives in the garage and leaves town on a consistent basis and could care less about the house. I am involved with many different organizations that are looking into legal actions against the property to make sure either the house gets fixed up or closed down. I am no longer a resident and was a breath of fresh air Literally when I was asked to leave. Take caution when making a decision to move in and don't expect your deposit back even though it clearly states 90 day stay and 30 day notice. Management will find any reason not to give it back to you. I am no longer in the House Mom position because my children and family became more of a priority then dealing with Anne. Good luck on all your adventures always remember Stay clean no matter what and things will get better just have faith. read more

This place is ridiculous . The director has the communication skills of a 16 year old . And the house mother Linda is insane . Me and the house mother were close but she had something against me and accused me of stealing mail from the owner Terrance and also set me up saying I stole her jewelry . Can you believe a client of Westside willows was set up and accused falsely of stealing ! The house mother was homeless and on the street and is only living there because of free rent . She is manipulative and likes to antagonize and hurt those living there when she has something against them . I've witnessed so many crazy and unfair situations living there the whole 6 months I did . I really suggest you don't move here , unless you want to relapse from all the stress brought on by those who run this place . Yes the rents cheap but there's a much larger price to pay . I'm honestly very hurt that I was so loyal to this place as long as I was , and then I was harassed by the woman who's in charge of the place , the one we are supposed to go to with our deepest vulnerabilities . It's just mind boggling that the people in charge of this place are so low and immature and unprofessional that they went out of their way to make up a lie that I stole from them . I was just there to get on my feet after addiction . Very toxic environment. I could go on and on but you get the point . read more

I have been a resident of Westside Willows since November of 2016 and I can honestly say that I am very grateful that I was able to move in here, especially on the short notice that I had given. It is very close to VRC (Venice Recovery Center) which is where I attend most of my meetings. It is very conveniently placed within the City of Venice, with Ralph's, Ross Dress For Less, Rite Aid, 99Cent Store, Whole Foods, Staples, Chase Bank, 711, the beach and more within walking distance. Since I have been a resident at Westside Willows I have been more motivated to find a job and go back to school. Santa Monica College is a bus ride away and outpatient at CLARE Foundation is close enough for me to walk if I so choose to, and if not I am a bus away. The girls at the house have been very supportive when it comes to anyone having an issue with anything. It is honestly the girls that make the house. Westside Willows has helped me immensely with continuing my after-care plan after being discharged from CLARE Foundation, which has helped me in my journey of recovery. read more