SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

It was such a pleasure to be outside today. Originally I decided to go into downtown Boston, but after weighing the long mass transit delays caused by some weekend track work on the Orange Line (my subway line into the downtown), I opted for a walk around part of my Jamaica Plain (JP) neighborhood, with a couple of planned pitstops.

It was a great decision. The weather was perfect: Sunny, 70s, with a cool breeze.

Boston’s history of urban planning and design is one of big hits and big misses. Among the former is the Southwest Corridor Park, a stretch of parkway that runs roughly parallel to the Orange Line tracks. I decided to take a walk along the park before cutting up an intersecting street toward the shops and eateries of JP.

SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

As you can see, it’s a really nice, picturesque walk. On the right are a man and his dog. As I approached, I said hi to the doggie, and he turned out to be a happy pooch. JP is a very animal friendly neighborhood, and this little guy was only one of several canines I encountered on my afternoon walk.

Shy but friendly doggie, SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

Many moons ago, JP used to be a suburb of Boston. This short stretch of the park below may represent what the neighborhood looked like generally before it became more urbanized. Looking at the photo, it’s hard to believe that subway and rail lines are dug out on the left and that a city street is on the right.

SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

I eventually walked out of the park and up a street toward the heart of JP. My first stop was Papercuts, JP’s new and only standalone bookstore. I wrote about this great little indie bookshop back in December. Today I picked up a couple of paperbacks, Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking (2005) and George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London (1933).

Papercuts J.P. bookstore, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

Next came a late lunch at the City Feed & Supply on Centre Street. (The City Feed’s original, smaller store is just seconds away from my condo.) I opted for a soup & sandwich, featuring the jerk chicken soup pictured below and half of a Cuban sandwich. Both were delicious.

I spent some time at City Feed enjoying my food, catching up on e-mails via my iPad, and reading the Sunday newspaper.

Jerk chicken soup, City Feed & Supply on Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

Then it was time to walk back home. I pretty much reversed course, except when I got to the Southwest Corridor Park, I stuck to the paved areas running alongside the grass and the dirt pathway.

Sidewalk along SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)

I had intended to be a bit more productive today, but I’ll get some work done tonight — uh, at least after watching the NBA Finals on television.

SW Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain, Boston (photo: DY, June 2015)