Josh Muncey Discusses Jamaica Plain

As part of Boston’s Design Week 2022, Kevin Cradock Builders assembled a panel discussion titled, “The Renaissance of Jamaica Plain.” One of the panelists was Josh Muncey, owner of the home called the Paragon, a Kevin Cradock Builders renovation project. Josh shared moments from that experience working with Kevin, along with his thoughts about Jamaica Plain. In addition to being a resident of Jamaica Plain for almost twenty years, Josh is the founder and leader of The Muncey Group real estate agency and founder of The Welcome Home Fund, a group that helps first-generation homebuyers of color make their downpayment on a home.

We took three clips from Josh’s presentation that evening and played them back, hoping he would say more. The clips involved Josh talking about: 

• the ample green space of JP, including the Jamaica Pond and Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum; 
  
  
• the feeling of “belonging” that Josh feels is in the JP community; 
  
  
• and the “authentic” restaurants, shops, and culture that are so present in a community with activist roots, along with a wide swath of ethnic diversity, income types, and strong LGBTQ+ representation.

Josh also came prepared with one amazing boombox story. Beginning with a rundown of his previous Sony and JVC experiences, he went deep with the Panasonic RX-DT707, aka, the Cobra Top. This spurred on a discussion of Strawberries Records in Newton and in Brookline on Harvard Ave (now a Starbucks). Kevin reminisced about going there to pick up the debut album of LL Cool J, “Radio,” and the hit song, “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” back in October, 1985, which he played on his own Panasonic and then an even deeper dive into “casingles” and the Beastie Boys.

Special mention about a book we brought up in the episode, Boston’s Franklin Park: Olmstead, Recreation, and the Modern City by professor of landscape architecture at UMass Amherst Ethan Carr. This book is the first book of its kind on Franklin Park concerning a “full” historical treatment. Josh and Kevin spoke at length about Franklin Park, with Kevin mentioning that not only is he at the park almost every day, the Overlook is his “favorite place” in Boston. 

Original date of panel: 04/26/2022

Media partner: New England Home