‘Street Parking Hermosa’ shows town’s wheels keep on turning

A collection of the photos that have appeared on @street_parking_hermosa, an Instagram account started by Hermosa resident Anne Williams, which documents “cars with character” that she finds around the city.

by Megan Garringer

and Ryan McDonald

Meet Anne Williams: supermom of two boys, lawyer, photographer, and Hermosa Beach’s very own Instagram superstar.

Her account @street_parking_hermosa documents cars found parked on the streets of Hermosa. And while Instagram and YouTube are filled with car-centric accounts, many of them document the exoctic and the pristine. Williams, however, focuses on what she calls “cars with character” — beat-up trucks, earth-tone station wagons, much-used surf vans.

But for most of the images, the attraction is not the car itself. “I’m not a ‘car person’ and honestly, I don’t care that much about cars,” Williams said. (Williams commutes to work in downtown Los Angeles every day by bus.) Instead, the aged autos allow her to tell the story of a changing town: Even as the homes and businesses they are parked in front of change, the wheels and windows are a reminder of old Hermosa.

Williams took up photography about two years ago when she decided she needed a hobby. Instagram became a natural destination for all of the images. Cars began to take over her personal Instagram account until she branched off to create @street_parking_hermosa, which now averages about 3 posts a day. (Another account spin-off, @nokooks_southbay, documents the seemingly infinite variety of wetsuit-drying methods.)

Her photo-snapping skills have sharpened from constant practice. As Williams got more interested in photography, she encouraged her two children to enter a photo competition at Hermosa View, where they attend school, last year. The kids went on to take first and second place. Inspired, she told her family that, in 2018, she too would win a photo contest. She came upon a newsletter announcing the annual photo contest of the American Institute of Architects. One of 15 finalists from around the world, Anne placed at the same level as professionals with the best of equipment. The award came even though she does not own a computer or even a camera: all her images come through the lens of her iPhone 6 Plus.

There is no hard, fast rule about whether a particular car qualifies for Street Parking. It has instead evolved a know-it-when-you-see-it style. And the account has clearly struck a chord, racking up more than 1,000 followers and a stream of winking, smiling comments.

Among the fans is Hermosa resident Amanda Koss. One day, Koss was bored and started searching different hashtags on Instagram, and quickly came upon Williams’ account and started following her. Then a little while later, Koss found her own car, a 1971 Chevy pickup truck, on the site. (Williams typically leaves “business cards” under the windshield wipers of cars she selects, like a happier version of a parking ticket.) And not long after that, she happened upon Williams in real life, as Williams was taking a photo of another car.

In a story made for the internet age, a friendship was born. Koss, a South Bay native, said she appreciates how Williams’ photos are a reminder of the place she knew growing up, but also how the account has made her more aware of tiny wonders in the place she calls home.

Koss acquired her pickup truck about two years ago when she needed a car to help her haul paddleboards for her business, Beachonista Stand-up Paddleboard Shack on Hermosa Avenue.

She started getting more into classic cars after that, and Street Parking helped her realize all the cool sights she previously took for granted.

“She always lines it up to make a super awesome shot, and it’s fascinating how she always gets them parked in front of cool backdrops. Sometimes, we get so busy in our daily lives that we don’t even take the time to notice things,” Koss said.

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