J.P. ON THE LOOP AND LOCAL

Austin can keep its weird, thanks, and Portland and Santa Cruz and the legion of weirdly spin-offs besides. For David Warner, proud proprietor of J.P.’s City Feed and Supply on Centre Street, it’s all about the loopy. “Some people don’t get it at all, or they think it has a negative connotation like ‘crazy’ or ‘insane’ or something,” laughs Warner as he explains his Keep J.P. Loopy brainchild. Warner hatched the idea, an homage to the 48 Loop bus that roves Jamaica Plain, with J.P. Sucks lollipop hawker Joe Douillette three years back. “It’s just the two of us having fun and highlighting what we like about this community, and hopefully getting people talking about how to keep that.”

For Warner, who built City Feed into its blushing success on locavorism, slow food and rabid community support, loopy is the highest of compliments to his stomping grounds’ eccentricity.

“Yeah, there are people who do wacky, awesome things out here – whether it’s performance art or free jazz or punk rock or whatever end of the spectrum, a lot of that happens in J.P. It’s exciting, and Keep J.P. Loopy is one way I can sponsor that creativity in the neighborhood.”

Beyond an artsy citizenry, though, Warner’s vision for J.P. encompasses a business landscape rooted in local ties. “As someone who lives in this neighborhood, it’s right up there with the Pond and parks and bike paths, all of it. When you homogenize with chain stores you lose your sense of place, that uniqueness. Go to a community where chains are all they have – you really don’t feel like you even are anywhere. As a human, that’s bothersome.”

It’s just a germ for the time being, so don’t strain yourself trying to spot J.P.-ers strutting Loopy-brand shirts, patches or paraphernalia à la the Austin campaign. “The idea hasn’t taken off like wildfire or anything,” says Warner. “We’ve toyed with some t-shirt designs and thought of having community parties on the 48 to spread the word, but so far it’s just me and Joe.” Still, the ethos of loopiness runs deep in J.P., from the Whole Foods yea-nay question to the buy-local push by City Feed and other Jamaica Plain fixtures. “The commercial landscape is part of what we do as humans – we transform where we are,” muses Warner. “And you have to cultivate it. As consumers and customers we should think consciously about what businesses we like and which ones we want to see more of, and contribute to building that into reality.

“Chains don’t add anything to my sense of where I am. Some people like the consistency of going into a chain, but that’s not what J.P. is about for me.”

Rest assured, folks. Just because the K.J.P.L. mugs and beer cozies won’t hit bodegas on the foreseeable horizon doesn’t mean the thing doesn’t have legs. “It’s not going away,” Warner insists. “Everyday I see something that lines up and makes me think, ‘THIS is J.P. Loopy.’ Just like every community, we’ve got a uniqueness. It’s fun to watch.” Here’s hoping that loopy’s communicable.