I am writing this on the day that I passed my driving test on the first try in Brooklyn, all thanks to the amazing and patient Erika (and with some help from Gus as well) from Revolution Driving School. TLDR - if you're a nervous or anxious driver, or have had difficulties with other instructors in the past, Erika is absolutely the one you should get started with. My apologies for the novel that's about to follow: To start off with, I am (or was), an incredibly nervous driver. While I had gotten my license by the skin of my teeth back in 2018, I developed a severe phobia after a bad experience on a highway and let my license lapse, not realizing that if your license is expired for more than two years, you can't just renew it - you have to take the whole road test again. When I learned this, I became so nervous that I started having insomnia and couldn't fall asleep - that's how nervous I was thinking about getting back on the road again. After completing my permit, I worked up the courage to book a lesson with Erika. Now, I've had my fair share of bad driving instructors - they often are gruff, not that great at teaching or explaining, and not great at making you feel comfortable or relaxed. Erika is the exact opposite. She is warm and supportive, without being overly so - you never feel like you have to put on a show for Erika. The day of my first lesson I woke up with full body chills and nerves, but I immediately felt at ease with Erika when I was in the car during my first lesson and knew I made the right decision booking lesson with her. Slowly but surely with each lesson with Erika, I got more confident behind the wheel. She positively reinforces when you do something well, and explains patiently where you can improve. She also steadily increases your abilities over time, slowly taking on new things like driving in a different neighborhood or on a busy street, without rushing you into something that can feel difficult. Since parallel parking is my achilles heel, she made sure to spend extra time walking me through this during our lessons. Leading up to my road test I also decided to take a couple extra lessons with Gus, who only just recently became available again for lessons. Gus has a very different demeanor than Erika - more reserved - and so while he may not be the best person to take a first lesson with if you are extremely nervous and anxious like me, I did find my lessons with Gus to be helpful and so the combination of working with both of them made me feel doubly prepared. On the day of my road test, Erika had the perfect demeanor. She made me feel assured, but never put undue pressure on me - she struck the right balance of being supportive without having that become a stressor in and of itself. She answered all my last minute nervous questions ("Can you walk me through again what to do if I think I'm going to hit the curb while parallel parking? What if I'm too wide?"), without ever making me feel bad about it. I was blessed with a clear day and relatively empty roads, but regardless of the good conditions I know I can owe the credit of my passing mostly to the patience and guidance of Erika. She is truly life changing - she changed me from an incredibly nervous driver who would break down into a ball of nerves even thinking about being behind the wheel, to a confident driver who according to my evaluator, did a "perfect" parallel park - something that I would NEVER have thought in a million years I would hear anyone say. All told, I did 13 lessons before my road test - 9 with Erika and 4 with Gus. While it's possible a less nervous driver could have done less (by my 10th lesson everything really started to click), I'm glad I did those extra lessons to make me feel fully prepared. I highly recommend Revolution Driving School, and Erika in particular, to anyone who is nervous or anxious about driving. While of course what happens on road test day is your responsibility, you will feel so prepared working with them. I can never thank them enough for giving me my confidence back!! read more

Wonderful experience with Revolution! They were very helpful throughout the process, and Jhesson is an excellent instructor. He is patient and very effective at teaching you techniques that will work consistently. Thank you! read more

Had an amazing time taking courses with revolution. My instructor Shannon is very experienced and superb in teaching drivers with all different skill levels. Made certain maneuvers like parallel parking very easy. A great place for people looking to prepare for their New York road test. read more

Instructor Arturo cancelled last minute and on several occasions showed up completely baked and smelling like weed. I asked him if he'd smoked and he said all day today and the last few days. Throughout the lesson he is talking about personal things such as women he's picked up off the street. It's very distracting. As for his teaching style, he's constantly providing instructions even up until the day of the exam, leaving no room for the student to internalize the material. When I ask him to give less instruction, he lashed out. We booked a class the day of the road test, half of which was used to drive on the highway (not tested for the road test). Finally, for the next road test, he decided to not let me use his car which I had been practicing. read more

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I 100% recommend Revolution Driving School! They have multiple convenient locations for driving lessons. The school can also schedule your road test, and there's a good chance you'll be able to use the same car you practiced in for the test, which is a huge advantage. Communication with the school is primarily done through email or text, which worked well for me. If the phone isn't answered, don't be upset; they will respond to your email promptly. If you're fortunate, your instructor will be Waleed (I took lessons in the Upper East Side). Waleed is very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. He provides helpful feedback during lessons. We connected well from my first lesson. The whole driving experience was fun and enjoyable. Right before my road test, Waleed showed me a different technique for parallel parking that finally clicked for me! I used his method, and my parking was spot on an hour later during the test. Forever grateful, Licensed NY Driver, Maria read more

Revolution Driving School - Pass! - Driving Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I never thought I would actually LIKE driving. I was terrified for years and delayed learning to drive until my 30s. Then Erika, at the Brooklyn location, changed everything for me. She's one of the kindest, sweetest, most patient people I have ever met. She gave me the confidence and courage to get behind the wheel. I look forward to lessons and every hour I get to spend with Erika is a joy. Her laughter, her insight, and outlook on life is a blessing. She's taught me so much more than just how to drive. read more

Went to this driving school because they had lessons in Upper West side. Needed some refreshers in order to change my license over from Europe to USA. Team at revolution are fantastic - I spent time with Arturo in UWS who gave me a crash course on all the US driving nuances. He was super friendly and kind. I then did my final lesson ahead of my test with Steven over in Flatbush area - he was fantastic giving me some extra pointers around my parallel park ahead of my test. Was also super friendly and supportive - I passed with flying colours! highly recommend this school! read more

Great school. The management is flexible and accommodating with scheduling and great pricing. All the instructors I had are great. Shout out especially to my instructor Erika who got me through the road test! read more

First, a big shout-out to Shannon! He was the best instructor... not just because of his experience, but because he knew how to strike the perfect balance between stern guidance and fun. He gave me strict warnings when needed, yet kept me laughing with his jokes. By the end of my lessons, I felt like he was looking out for me the same way my father would if I drifted out of my lane. I can't thank Shannon enough, and if you're choosing a driving instructor, ask for Shannon. You won't be disappointed! I'd also like to thank Princess at the Revolution Driving School office. She was quick, responsive, and truly the best coordinator I could've asked for. Thank you, Shannon and Princess! And Shannon--your words will always stay with me: "Experience teaches." read more

Jhesson is an incredible teacher! I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 lessons with him and he was on w time, patient and as I have previously had a license, did not try to "oversell" me on additional lessons and was completely honest and transparent throughout the process. I felt totally confident and prepared for my test and passed with flying colors! read more

I had a great experience taking lessons. Shannon, my driving instructor, was wonderful. Super helpful with parallel parking. It's great to have someone so confident in the car when you're a nervous driver. I also took the required 5 hour course through the school which was great and convenient. read more

Shannon is the best! Take him. He helped me pass my drivers test in 5 classes. He is also very calm and knows how to navigate and teach a brand new learner. read more

Really poor experience here. The instructor Chris cannot be reached (nor does the student know the phone number to contact them) and there is zero description of the car or the exact pick up location. I ended up losing half of my lesson time trying to locate/get hold of my instructor. The school tells you that if you pay extra, they will book you at a DMV site of your preference. However, it was not the case at all. Extremely disappointing experience all around and would not recommend read more

I took 20 hours of driving lessons with Shannon and passed my driving test! Shannon is the best instructor - he's had many years of experience and it shows! He pushes you just enough to improve, gives great instruction and insight, and above all he's kind and patient and overall a pleasure to work with! I can't recommend Shannon enough! read more

This review is for my driving instructor, Shannon, who is the best instructor out there. He explains the reasoning behind everything, making it easier to understand and truly improve. Even when I make mistakes (no shortage there), I can feel myself becoming a better driver under his guidance. I took one lesson with Shannon, then made the mistake of trying seven lessons at JayJay Driving School in Brooklyn, and I came running back. There's a world of difference between an instructor who goes through the motions and one who knows what they're doing--and Shannon is the real deal. read more

Buyer beware. You have to pay for each lesson before you schedule it. When you go back to schedule it, it is usually no longer available. And then, if you try to schedule in advance, they do not let you so it's very hard to use the lessons you have paid for. Also, when you talk them, it's obvious that they are always playing hardball. There is no interest in customer service on their part. read more

This was the best experience ever. My instructor Arturo is a wonderful human being, who not only preps you for the road test but teaches you tactile driving skills that will stay with you for a lifetime of safe driving. He is patient, funny and really down to earth therefore his was so easy and encouraging when he gave feedback. I'm super impressed by Arturo and would recommend him a 100 times over. Thank you Revolution and many thanks to Arturo! read more

Revolution driving school was great and got me to the finish line with my drivers license. I worked with Jhesson and Waleed who had their own methods of teaching both effective and supportive in their own ways. It was easy to schedule lessons and timing mostly consistent. Overall amazing experience with Revolution! Would recommend for anyone that's been putting off getting their license. read more

Very positive experience with Revolution Driving School. Shannon is a great instructor and is very invested in making you a better driver with a great balance between providing guidance and giving autonomy. read more

I had very positive experience. The office was very accommodating for scheduling. My driving instructor was Arturo. He was very timely and very experienced and did not make me nervous when driving. He gave very useful driving tips. Not only I got my license, I became an active driver that I was not able to manage to become for long years. I definitely recommend. read more

Revolution driving school is the way to go if you want to become a confident driver and pass your road test. I went somewhere else before and learned almost nothing. I am happy I switched to them. I was lucky to get Arturo as my driving instructor. He is fun, positive, skilled and makes you very relaxed when driving. I honestly can't recommend him enough. I was very confident on my road test and passed with no mistakes. Very satisfied with my experience at this school. read more

COVID RISK - DO NOT GO OR SEND YOUR CHILD HERE. I would avoid this school like the plague, because they actually may give it to you. Unvaccinated & careless instructors, absolutely horrid management (namely the office manager Annie), zero respect for the customer or business integrity. I had booked a series of lessons with Rey, who alongside Arturo, are wonderful instructors and not responsible for the moral wasteland that is the management of this school. Upon scheduling additional lessons with Rey after 10 completed, I was not notified that I was assigned a new instructor Kim and new vehicle until I arrived at the training site. Neither of which I had been practicing with. The first thing I noticed as I entered the vehicle was that this instructor was not wearing a mask and windows were rolled up. This may not seem like a big deal: the school's guidelines as listed on their website and as posted on the front door of their office require only unvaccinated instructors to properly wear masks. I kindly asked this instructor if they would mind wearing a mask since my mother is fighting cancer and I am one of her caregivers - this was asked in order to minimize any possible exposure risk with the new COVID Delta in circulation and uptick in breakthrough cases. The instructor Kim complied with her mask essentially only on her chin - I made my peace with it assuming any instructor employed by this school would be following their guidelines, and would be vaccinated if not properly wearing a mask. Wrong, this instructor disclosed to me that she was unvaccinated towards the end of my lesson, putting me at a significant exposure risk. I started gently and asked Kim if she would be open to taking a COVID test to account for the violation of the school's conduct standards. I even had at home testing that I offered to bring to the school for her convenience. She agreed to do it at an urgent care that day, and then disappeared entirely. I was unable to care for my mother during this time, nor return home during that period of time due to the exposure. This caused enormous family stress. But of course, the school would take responsibility for the action or suggest a course of action, such as asking their instructor to get a test immediately. Wrong. This was not the case. The phone was almost never picked up, when it was and I explained the gravity of the situation, and that I had to care for my mother and would be unable to until their instructor had remedied the situation (on doctors' orders), they would feed me platitudes, tell me to wait or simply did not call back. There was no escalation path for their issue. Finally, after three days in complete isolation due to the school's error, and due to the fact that accurate COVID testing is not reliable until 3-5 days after an exposure, I called a few more times to see if there were any updates. The calls were not answered. This means I spoke to someone exactly four times in three days, with no action taken by the school. Instead, Annie then sent me a completely mean-spirited, bullying, and nasty message asking me to stop "harassing" the school and that the instructor would get tested on her own time, maybe in a few days. Mind blowing. I had to lean on family legal counsel to resolve the situation to ensure I could see my mother again. Not even an apology. Beyond bad customer service, just purely heartless people given the situation I was contending with. I would not endorse or participate with this school in any way, under any circumstances. I asked for my money back and plan to report the school to all applicable NYS and NYC Health Department resources. Truly, zero stars if I could. read more

Revolution Driving School - Driving Schools Near Me - New York, New York

This is hands down one of the best and hidden gems in New York when it comes to a driving school. I was with another school before I went to this school and I'm embarrassed to say, but I stayed with that other school for far too long and even did a road test with them three times, which I failed all three times, until I came to this driving school. I bought the 5 lesson road test package and did not regret it. I was told that I was going to be having Arturo and Gerald as my instructors. My first lesson was canceled due to a severe snow storm that was happening, my second lesson, I had Arturo, which he was extremely soothing, talkative, which was good because it calms the nerves down, respectful, gave good advice and feedback, overall, just a chill guy and instructor. My second lesson, was supposed to be with Gerald, but I totally blanked that day that I had a driving lesson, which Gerald called me and asked where I was and even asked where I lived, so he could go pick me up if I was close by or lived close by. When I told him that I lived pretty far and that I wouldn't make it, he talked me down, calmed me down and said that he'll call the driving school and ask if anything can be done about it. My third lesson was again with Arturo, same thing, down to earth, we talked while I drove. Like I said again, very chill and down to earth guy and instructor, very easily talkative to. My fourth lesson was with Gerald, this was a fun lesson because I finally got to drive on the highway, on the FDR. Gerald was very down to earth and talkative also, which again, calmed me down and soothed the nerves. We had an amazing time criticizing peoples driving skills on the highway because I was getting cut off a lot, people were not using their turn signals, but there was a few nice drivers that were nice enough to let a student driver go first and give them some space just incase I make any sudden movement/spots. My fifth lesson/road test was with Arturo. We drove over to the testing location without a problem, did a couple turns, drove a little, a bit of parking and a couple three point turns also. Let's just say I finally passed the road test on my fourth time and am now looking to buy a car before my birthday in April! If anyone asks me if I know any good places to learn to drive, I will be redirecting to Revolution Driving School and that is a promise! Thank you once again to Revolution Driving School and to their wonderful and lovely driving instructors! read more

Did my lessons with Antonio at the Jackson Ave location - great instructor, really helpful tips, and put me at ease! The school was also great with friendly staff - very quick to schedule lessons and the test! read more

I'm so grateful for having had Jhesson as my driving instructor. I passed my road test on my first try with this school after taking classes with him! He's knowledgeable, respectful, and patient. He's an amazing instructor and genuinely cares about his students and their progress. He has excellent communication skills, knows exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. His balanced personality between being serious and light-hearted helps you feel at ease, especially if/when you're nervous behind the wheel. He adapts to each person and their needs, and makes them a better, safer, and more confident driver. I couldn't have gotten my driver license without Jhesson so I highly recommend him. Last but not least, Princess and Erika were incredibly helpful, kind, and patient when scheduling my lessons, the 5-hour pre-licensing exam (available online and in-person), and the road test. They're available in-person, through call, text, and email! They even send you lesson reminder texts and confirmation emails. You also have the option to book your own lessons online after creating an account. This school offers discounts throughout the year so check out their website. Since this is one of the best driving schools in NYC, the instructors and the admins get very busy so the sooner you reach out to them the better! read more

I had a wonderful experience at Revolution driving school. I did my classes at the one located in Brooklyn (261 13th street). Firstly, scheduling the courses was very easy. The receptionist, Deborah, was lovely and always helped me with picking the best dates and times that would suit my busy schedule. Often I would have to switch dates, but as long as it's done before the 24 hours, she was always super helpful. She was very nice and polite, definitely a lovely person to speak to either on the phone or via text. I had several drivers at the school, but the two that stuck out the most were Lyndberg and Erika. Lyndberg really helped me relax a lot and since he's a mathy / sciency guy, much like me, it was a much easier connection to measure and calculate turning and parking. He was very chill, but also very particular in what he wanted from me. Our personalities meshed very well, so he was the first person that made me very relaxed to drive. After Lyndberg, I had Erika. I absolutely loved her. She's a phenomenal instructor and she definitely knows what she's doing. After having her once, I switched all my classes to her. She's super encouraging and she's definitely a huge part of why I passed my exam. She teaches you EVERYTHING and more, and makes you very comfortable when driving, even when you may make a little mistake. She is a very sweet woman and definitely recommend her to anyone who wants to learn to drive with ease and confidence. Lovely driving school, I got my license after doing a package of 10 lessons (I never been behind a car before), and then 1 extra lesson before my test. All of it was super worth it because I got my license in one test! read more

I found this school after reading a lot of reviews, and I'm so glad I chose them. Right from the sign up to the day I passed the road test, it was such a pleasant experience. Thank you Annie for such a pleasant communication over the phone and email; and I appreciate the hard work put in by Ibo in the 5-hour course! It was interactive, informative and fun. I am thoroughly grateful to Arturo for sharing his knowledge, experience and time in helping me polish my driving skills. Every maneuver completed successfully was met with words of encouragement, and every mistake I made was noted and followed up on to give me enough opportunities to improve. Every student has their own learning style and a good teacher needs to be able to adapt to their individual needs. And it's so rare to come across teachers who get you excited about the lesson itself. In Arturo, I found both. To anyone on the market looking for driving instruction, this is it! read more

Revolution Driving School - After a successful road test attempt earlier this week - Driving Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I am not one for hyperbole, but I will make an exception here as Jhesson is the ABSOLUTE best driving instructor for any native NYer who never learned how to drive as a kid. He is calm, friendly, funny, and knows the driving test well. Finally in my 30s, decided it was time to learn how to drive. Learning how to drive as an adult is nerve wracking - I am not a young fearless whippersnapper teen but instead an anxious hypervigilent granny who feels like driving 15mph is too fast because I've been used to walking at 3mph my whole life. Despite this, Jhesson broke through all my anxieties by providing excellent instruction, and useful executable tips and tricks that make parallel parking sooo easy. Ask for Jhesson!! read more

Best possible place for driving. My instructor Jhesson taught me based off of what I needed and did it in a fun but regulatory way which was perfect. Apart from recommending this school, having people as nice and amazing as Jhesson is what made my experience a 10/10, which led to me getting my license my first try. read more

Arturo did a great job. Friendly guy and great preparation for the test. Made sure we had refreshed all the topics so when the test came around it was a breeze read more

Went to their website and booked a 5 hour driving lesson package. Was expecting to be able to schedule lessons through the website, but that wasn't available. No big deal, sent them an email instead. After few back and forth, I find out that they are booked till end of May. That is close to 1.5 months in the future. Understandably, I asked for a refund, since I wasn't planning on waiting more than a month to get the lessons. They told me all refunds get charged 10% fee no matter what. This was my response: """ It sounds very unprofessional to charge me 10% fee when no where on your website did you note that you have a month long backlog on lessons. Charging 10% refund fee in a situation like this is a great way to get a 1 star review on all of the review websites. """ They said they don't care. And here we are. I have lost 30$, but at least I have learned to never deal with this company again. I don't know how good their driving lessons are, but I would definitely avoid having any dealings with a company like this in the future. read more

Update 5/17/21: The manager called today after my initial review below and I was able to get my refund processed right away with a 10% service fee waved. She explained that my situation was not communicated correctly internally, and the person who was supposed to process my refund went on maternity leave. I understand things can happen, and I'm happy to resolve the situation. Thank you for acting quickly. As I mentioned below, teachers are great and everyone is nice, but if you have a strict timeline before your road test, make sure to call first before you commit to buying a package online. You might not start learning until 1,2 weeks later. If you are not in a hurry, you will be fine! Initial Review on 5/14/21: Let me be clear that the reason for 1 star is NOT because of their instructors. I've taken both the 5-hour pre-license course and 1 driving lesson from here and both teachers were great. I'm quite upset by how terrible they are handling my refund request. I've been waiting for a refund of $475 over 2 weeks that they promised (I have written proof) on the same day I purchased a 10 class package for $660 on April 27, 2021. I was hoping to schedule all 10 lessons in May 2021 because I'm moving to a different state in June, only to find out they are so booked up that I could only schedule 2 lessons. At that point, I asked for a refund for the remaining 8 lessons. The LIC administrator checked with the manager and quickly agreed to refund me $475 (they will take a 10 % service fee, which I wasn't thrilled about, but I accepted that). Since then, I've been contacting them every few days asking nicely when my refund will be processed. Every time I contact the office, it's all words and no actions taken. When are you going to actually process the refund? If you don't refund me by the end of the day on Monday 5/17/21, I have no choice but to report your business anywhere I can. read more

Highly recommend this school. first of all, the person who respond to my email was really kind and quick. whenever I asked quesitions by email, she responsed immediately. second, I had two driving instructors. but my favorite instructor was Ricahrd. Find Richard T. He is really kind and explain very well. I was very nervous on road test day but he gave me confidence! I can give him 10 stars!!! read more

Top school in NYC hands down! I was reluctant about going here due to being scammed by a previous school but I took my chances and to be completely honest I could not be more satisfied! The School: Very professional, great communication and very easy to work with. Clear scheduling, just make sure you read the messages clearly. You also get a reminder text message which I loved. 5HR Class: Nobody anywhere likes the 5hr pre-driving class but this one was really good. The instructor was funny, interactive, and kept the class moving. Some of the videos are from the P.O.V of the driver's seat which is really helpful. Instructors My first instructor was Steven who was amazing and I was pleased to see I would have him every time. My 5 lesson package ended and I decided to purchase a couple of more lessons after my vacation however, by then Steven was on leave so I had Jhesson. Jhesson is definitely a secret weapon. Amazing, honest, and knowledgeable. If you are lucky enough to be assigned him you will be in great hands and your chances of passing will double...unless youjust have a hard time following instructions. Plus, your last lesson is scheduled on the day of your test- game changer! CARS Great working conditions, very clean and well maintained. The car you practice in is the same car you use for the road test. Overall I felt very comfortable from the moment I spoke with a staff member, to taking the 5hr class to actually getting in the car and driving. I knew if I didn't pass on my first run with them it would've been due to me needing more practice and not because I was scammed with half-a** lesson. I was nervous, Jhesson called me down, I passed the first round. Book your classes asap their appointments tend to fill up fast. read more

I've been so lucky to have been able to drive with Jhesson and Shannon! Driving in the city seemed so difficult but immediately was made easy with some guidance and support :) couldn't recommend this Driving school enough. Ive spent most of my time with Jhesson who has a great ability in making driving both fun and easy while immensely improving my confidence, especially with narrow roads! With Shannon, he was really able to encourage the importance of experience and good sense of direction :) I've been so lucky and are incredibly grateful! read more

I came to this school with absolutely no experience and I thought I was going to fail my road test but ended up passing with flying colors. Although timing was a bit awkward since their lessons get booked very quickly, the communication between the school and myself was very convenient and very responsive. My instructor Lashawn was extremely patient and helpful. He's a great instructor where he corrects your mistakes and offer insightful tips to make sure all of his students passes the road test. He makes the lessons very relaxed and have a great sense of humor. I strongly recommend this driving school even if it's a little pricy, it's worth every penny. read more

I've been to a few driving schools and this one has been one of the best! Customer service is great! Super helpful. Very friendly. If you call and they don't pick up, they do callbacks. Overall, amazing! About the lesson - the instructor was on time. My lesson went smooth. Directions were clear. The car was clean and easy to drive. About pricing - the rate per hour is a little more expensive than most schools that I've seen but I prefer to pay extra for better service, better instruction and peace of mind. Also, I like that the car is red so that all the impatient drivers can see that I'm just a student driver. read more

Great instructors. Antonio gave great advice and instructions. Passed my road test on my first try. Thank you.

I tried a few other driving schools both within Manhattan and out on Long Island. Rey from Revolution Driving was the best teacher of them all. Patient, calm and provides constructive understandable feedback. With Rey's guidance, I finally got my license (at the age of 44)! As some others noted there is some scheduling difficultly but they are busy. So make sure to book your lessons well in advance. It's worth noting that I also took one lesson with Arturo who was also very good. read more

After experiencing three other driving schools, I will say this is one of the most professional, experienced, and well organized driving schools. I had lessons with driving instructors Kim, Arturo, and my road test with Rey and they were all amazing. Thanks to this school and its instructors i finally have my driving license. Would recommend to anyone looking to get straight forward lessons, pass their road test and not waste their time and money. read more