Seven Seas Sharehouse | Kismet, Fire Island

House Managers

Ben Beggs

Ben has been coming to Kismet for the last four seasons and knows the sharehouse culture well. He likes to surf and plays percussion instruments. You can usually find him trying to get a jam session started or out on the deck contemplating the waves. Other interests include chess, cooking, running, dancing, and water sports.

As a profession, Ben works as a business development executive for a company specializing in mobile web optimization in Soho.

Cat Goddard

Cat is a professional fitness instructor who teaches Pilates and vinyasa yoga year-round. She is originally from Massachusetts, but has lived in NYC for the past 8 years. Cat is a former Teach for America school teacher and was once the director of a very stressful not-for-profit youth organization in Harlem. In her new found spare time, she enjoys: spoiling her dog, Prozac; eating spicy food; traveling to beaches all over the world; and trying to do just one more chin up.

Cat is our head instructor in the fitness studio and also loves color-coding the rest of your beach house schedule! When she first came to Fire Island, Cat was a self-proclaimed “fancy girl,” but has since happily traded in her Gucci travel bag and Missoni sundress for a squeaky red wagon and yoga pants…at least most of the time.

A Few Current Members

Karen

Karen is a native New Yorker who enjoys enthusiastic conversations, music from the ’90s, and fun in the sun. A planner and executor, Karen looks forward to playing an active role on the Seven Seas Activities Committee. She fell in love with the sharehouse experience in Kismet after just one visit in September 2008 and is prepared to create a lot more memories this upcoming summer!

Profession-wise, Karen works in the wonderful world of online marketing for a mammoth corporation in downtown Manhattan.

Kara

Kara grew up in Columbus, Ohio with three siblings and lots of other kids – which is probably why she loves being around people. After graduating from the Ohio State University, she moved to New Jersey in 2003 and joined Teach for America. She currently teaches Spanish at Rise Academy in Newark and lives in the Ironbound section.

This year, Kara is training to run a half marathon! She also hopes to learn to play the guitar and to surf. Kara enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, exercising, being outdoors and especially being in the sun! She is extremely excited to be a part of the beach house this summer and to experience new adventures with both new and old friends.

Dave

Dave is the tallest member of the house (so far), and has a sizeable passion for life to go along with it. When he’s not making music, making dinner, or making you laugh, Big Dave is a non-profit manager whose program strives to get city high school youth gainfully employed and ready for higher education.

Originally hailing from Maine, Dave attended Bates College, where he majored in Theatre. Although he’s warmed up in NYC for the past 4 years, he’s still a cold-water night-swimming champion. This summer, Dave looks forward to sharing his music with fellow Kismeters. Dave was a guest at a Kismet sharehouse in the past, and looks forward to spending time with friends- old and new- on the summer sands.

Krista

Krista is an educator/freelance writer who grew up in Southern New Jersey. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, she lived in Chapel Hill another year before moving back above the Mason-Dixon line in 2003 to join Teach for America. Through TFA, she met fabulous house manager, Cat Goddard! Krista loves eating, drinking, and being merry as well as writing, dancing, shopping, and watching her favorite sports teams.

This summer will be Krista’s first in Fire Island. She is looking forward to lots of good times!

Lauren

“Who wants to play? Anyone? Anyone?” are Lauren’s first words (or at least thoughts) the minute she steps off the ferry and into the share house. Guitar jams, Scrabble, chess, bicycle riding, Kadima, frisbee, tennis, dancing in the living room, helping chop veggies for dinner; whatever is going on, Lauren is sure to be part of the action.

While in the city, Lauren is finishing up her masters in education and literacy from Bank Street, and is an associate teacher by day. She is also a certified Yoga instructor since 2001(Vinyassa flow and restorative therapy), and teaches privately and after school to children. She is working on illustrating a children’s book too. She loves the beach town vibe in Kismet because it reminds her of the time when she lived in Brazil.

Guest Stars

Steve

Many have called Steve “Magic Fingers” and for good reason. As a professional massage therapist for going on ten years, he has learned more than a thing or two about making the pain melt away and allowing us to float through the rest if the day as though on a cloud. Steve will be coming out for one weekend in each series offering FREE chair massages as well as holding massage crash course seminars to teach us all a few simple techniques for giving a killer shoulder rub without the years of schooling! Hour-long private table sessions are also available to members at a special rate.

Additionally, Steve is a big value add thanks to a few other handy Fire Island skills–he is an accomplished percussionist and guitar player and also a TV quality trained ballroom dancer. Once the music gets going and Steve starts moving, there’s no stopping the dance party, and whatever lucky lady he dances with looks like a million bucks.

Prozac

Prozac is a special guest who’s out every weekend so you’ll definitely run into him. He’s kind of an exception because he’s 22 years under the target age for the house, but his personality is just so magnetic, you can’t say no to him. He is a hypo-allergenic mostly Yorkie who doesn’t bark or bite. He mostly likes to lie on your stomach and be petted. He also likes walks on the beach and naps. His dislikes include: being left at home alone, fetch, and taking baths. We know you’ll love him too. Although Prozac is a special exception, pets are not allowed at Seven Seas apart from him, and he will only be around on weekends.

Prozac is aptly named as he is happy almost all the time and makes others share his enthusiasm and zeal for life through doggie osmosis.