Van Nuys is a prominent neighborhood in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, a part of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California. Although there are few tourist attractions here, Van Nuys serves as a civic and commercial center for the Valley.

Get in

Van Nuys sits north of U.S. Route 101 and straddles Interstate 405, which runs north-south through the middle of Van Nuys. To the immediate south is Sherman Oaks, while to north are North Hills and Panorama City. Like the rest of the Valley, the major streets are laid out in a grid pattern.

Public transit is offered by the city-wide Metro service, with bus service on every major street in Van Nuys. A prominent Metro service through Van Nuys is the Orange Line, a busway that runs east-west across the Valley from North Hollywood to Chatsworth. In North Hollywood, the Orange Line connects to the Metro Rail system. Van Nuys is also served by the Metrolink Ventura line (weekdays only) and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train, both of which stop at the 1 Van Nuys train station at 7720 Van Nuys Blvd.

By plane

• 2 Van Nuys Airport (VNY  ^IATA) (located within the neighborhood). Is strictly general aviation only. The airport is noted for being one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, often used by Hollywood celebrities looking to arrive in the city away from prying eyes.  

The nearest airport offering commercial service is Bob Hope Airport (BUR ^IATA) in Burbank, due east of Van Nuys. By public transit, you can take the Metrolink or Amtrak directly from the airport, or take a free shuttle to the Metro Rail station in North Hollywood, where you can connect to the Metro Orange Line.

More distant is the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX ^IATA), a major airport served by many international airlines; LAX FlyAway offers a direct shuttle service from the LAX terminals to Van Nuys, stopping at the 3 FlyAway Bus Terminal at 7610 Woodley Ave (at the NE corner of Woodley Ave and Saticoy, next to the Van Nuys Airport), with service every 30 minutes for 24 hours a day. A second FlyAway stop is on the south side of Victory Boulevard just east of Woodley Avenue, near the Woodley station on the Metro Orange Line bus route; FlyAway buses serve this stop hourly from 4:45am to 11pm. FlyAway buses cost $9.75 each way; cash not accepted, credit/debit cards only.

See

The Japanese Garden

• 1 The Japanese Garden, 6100 Woodley Avenue, ☏ +1 818 756-8166. M-Th 11AM-4PM, Su 10AM-4PM. A tranquil and gorgeous Japanese garden with a dry Zen meditation garden, a tea garden, and a wet garden with lakes, waterfalls, and streams which uses reclaimed water from the adjacent water treatment plant. $5 adults, $3 seniors 62+/children 12 and under. (updated May 2016)

Do

• 1 Van Nuys Golf Course, 6550 Odessa St, ☏ +1 818 785-8871. This small park boasts an 18-hole, par 3 course for beginners as well as a driving range. 
• 2 Sky Zone Trampoline Park. (updated Jun 2017)
• 3 Iceland Ice Skating Center, 14318 Calvert St, ☏ +1 818 785-2171. This indoor ice skating rink offers bumper cars, "easy skaters" (or, walkers for new skaters), and three party rooms. Also a recognizable landmark for fans of the 2005 film Me and You and Everyone We Know. 
• 4 Woodley Lakes Golf Course, 6331 Woodley Ave, ☏ +1 818 780-6886. Woodley Lakes has tournament-like greens with flat, wide, and forgiving holes that are great for beginners. (updated Apr 2016)

Eat

• 1 Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ, 8136 Sepulveda Blvd, ☏ +1 818 780-6701. It gets really busy on the weekends. Try the beef ribs, pork ribs, beans and macaroni salad. It also has delicious bread. 
• 2 El Criollo, 6622 Van Nuys Blvd, ☏ +1 818 785-8625. Cuban. 
• 3 El Katracho, 14838 Burbank Blvd, ☏ +1 818 780-7044. Honduran. 
• 4 Kyushu Ramen, 15355 Sherman Way Ste N, ☏ +1 818 786-6005. Authentic Japanese food. Open late. 
• 5 Lido Pizza, 15232 Victory Blvd, ☏ +1 818 781-2551. Casual Italian. 
• 6 Little Ocha of the Valley, 13724 Victory Blvd, ☏ +1 818 782-1898. Thai. 
• 7 Los Tres Hermanos, 7456 Van Nuys Blvd (corner of Van Nuys and Sylvan), ☏ +1 818 780-9930. 9AM to 10PM. A local Mexican restaurant that mixes in some authentic food from Mexico. Most of the time the restaurant is busy during the week with most of the customers coming from the local businesses. $14. 
• 8 Lulu's Restaurant, 16900 Roscoe Blvd, ☏ +1 818 988-0707. American Traditional and sports bar. 
• 9 Mercado Buenos Aires, 7540 Sepulveda Blvd, ☏ +1 818 786-0522. Argentine steakhouse. 
• 10 Norm's Restaurant, 13636 Sherman Way, ☏ +1 818 780-5060. 24/7 diner. 
• 11 Yagumo Sushi, 14554 Vanowen St, ☏ +1 818 787-9383. Japanese sushi. 

Drink

Van Nuys isn't exactly known for its nightlife, but there are a few local spots that offer a laid-back neighborhood atmosphere as well as live music.

• 1 Springbok Bar & Grill, 16153 Victory Blvd, ☏ +1 818 988-9786. South African pub known for BBQ, beer, rugby fans, international beers on tap, and live performances. 
• 2 Ireland's 32, 13721 Burbank Blvd, ☏ +1 818 785-4031. Irish charm, pub food, and live bands or karaoke. 

Sleep

Travelers should be wary of staying at any "motel" or "motor inn" in the area. Most of the "motels" cater to the many prostitutes found along Sepulveda Boulevard. There are only a few legitimate hotels in Van Nuys:

• 1 Airtel Plaza Hotel, 7277 Valjean Ave, ☏ +1 818 997-2823. 
• 2 Holiday Inn Express, 8244 Orion Ave, ☏ +1 818 989-5010. 

Go next

Routes through Van Nuys

END ← North Valley ←	N  S	→ Sherman Oaks → West Los Angeles
Santa Barbara ← Chatsworth ←	N  S	→ Burbank → Los Angeles
Chatsworth ← South Valley ←	W  E	→ North Hollywood → END