All I can say is “Wow”. I scheduled my lessons and road test with Serena after reading many reviews on the website. It was the best choice I have made in my life. She’s very patient and able to fluently tell you what you did wrong and what you need to do to fix it. She tries her best to fit you in the schedule and work additional if needed. If I had to recommend anyone from Blue Steel it would be her! Read Less

Friendly and professional! Mr. Lopez is a great 5-hour instructor. He gives lots of tips that a video couldn't provide. Jermaine my driving instructor was patient and assisted me in a calm and professional manner. The only area of improvement I would suggest is better communication with road test appointment confirmations. Thank you for all your support in assisting me in obtaining my license. Read Less

Hey I had an amazing experience with Blue Steel Driving school. They were fluent in their work and my instructor Jermaine was very patient and thorough with my lessons. They made the process so easy and without him or the school, I would not have passed my road test... Thank you for everything. Read Less

You have wonderful teachers at this school. Serena is a good teacher; she make sure that you are aware of your surroundings. Darling is a wild and playful teacher that will help you with your driving skills. Last and most important you have Crystal who is the true definition of motivation and heart. This young lady has the motivation to lift you up when you're down and boost your confidence to make you feel that your great. So I would like to thank everybody that I trained with and wish them the best. From Thomas AkA Rick Ross Read Less

First I want to thank Crystal for understanding, what I needed to become a better driver. Blue Steel driving school don't just prepared you for the road test, but they prepared you for everyday driving. The staff is very informative and friendly. If you're looking for professional driving school, Blue Steel driving school is it. Read Less

Blue Steel Driving School is one of the best driving school in New York. Darling Joseph is a phenomenal, professional and graceful driving instructor. Ms Joseph is very instrumental for all of her students passing their road test, her methods of teaching is amazing and influential. There is no one like Darling and no one does what she does or the way the she does. Darling makes you comfortable, confident and gives you a better concept of driving, which is very important. I am forever grateful for Darling. Read Less

I passed the road test on my first try. Darling is a very good instructor. She is a natural when it comes to teaching. She understands every student's need and shapes her teaching method around it. I am basically a nerd and was scared to drive. Darling helped me build my confidence and pass the test on first try. Also I found the 5 hour class to be very helpful. Unlike a lot other driving school Blue steel actually holds an interactive session of 5 hours and provides information that will actually help driving safely. 5 star is well deserved. Read Less

I have gone to other driving schools in the city and have had really bad experiences. I had failed the road test twice and felt like I would never learn to drive. Coming here was different, both Serena and Crystal were nice and helpful and would point out ways that you can improve instead of yelling or making you feel incompetent. The 5-hour class was a lecture instead of a boring 5 hr video, I felt like I have learned so much here than I did in the other schools. I finally passed my road test and I don't think that would have been possible without Serena and Crystal. Read Less

I had a pretty good experience. I got a living social package yrs ago and used it for its cash value(it had expired) recently. I was about to get the 5hr class and 2 lessons! The 5hr class was ALL lecture! I didn't have a problem because it wasn't boring. I had Serena for my two lessons and she was very informative. She believed in me when I doubted myself due to fear and I felt very comfortable. I passed my road test! I lost 10 points due to 2 silly mistakes I made (again I was scary nervous). I did have a good experience and I'm glad I didn't let the reviews scare me away much longer lol....Safe driving guys and good luck on it all!! Read Less

My driving instructor was on time and friendly for the most part. At the end of the day I didn't feel comfortable when it came to driving and Blue Steel didn't have a problem or made it difficult for me to get a refund on my deposit. I appreciate that since I know some places would have made getting a refund a nightmare. My suggestion to anyone learning to drive try a single class first before commenting to a package just to make sure your instructor is someone you feel comfortable with. Read Less

Four stars for Crystal, my driving Instructor who was great and teaches you what you need to know to pass your test first time. Two for the school, which was pretty disorganised. I bought a living social deal that I let expire, but they still honoured the face value. Read Less

My driving instructor was very good and patient with me. I took about 7 lessons and learning from scratch I passed my road test the first time. I got a voucher off of living social which included 3 lessons, my 5 hour class and the road test. One thing I would say they need to work on is returning and answering the phones. I would call repeatedly and the secretary would not answer the phone and she was VERY rude. Read Less

I purchased a deal through Living Social and once I'd organized my learner's permit separately, I did the 5 hour class and 4 lessons (3 of which were part of the deal) and my test - which I passed today - with Blue Steel. It was great value.I had been driving for years on the other side of the road (I am Australian), so had to unlearn / relearn a few things, and build my confidence after years of living in NYC but not driving at all. Chrystal was an excellent teacher and I am really grateful for her help in getting my license. However, the business could do with better "customer service" at the main desk. It's pretty off-hand, to put it mildly, and seems a bit disorganized in internal communications.Overall, though, I'd recommend them. Read Less

This review is based on my experience with the 5-hour class. It's the prerequisite in NYS for anyone with a learner's permit looking to take the road test for a Class D license. When I called, the person that answered the phone was quite courteous and polite. Maybe in response to all the negative feedback they've gotten on here? She put my name on the list for the class and reminded me that I needed to bring my learner's permit. I completed the class yesterday. The instructor arrived a little late, but he was a pleasant guy. However, most of the info he imparted in the first half of the class was somewhat indecipherable. The classroom was stuffy, save for the 15" fan in the corner of the room. He wrote on a tiny, dirty dry erase board in the front of the room when he wanted to draw diagrams to explain his speaking points about the road test. But his handwriting was basically illegible and his thick Caribbean accent made it somewhat difficult to understand everything he was saying. He let us go for a 40 minute break in the middle of the class. When he came back, he was a much better instructor. He seemed more energized and engaged with the class. He was humorous and better connected. His anecdotes were good and his examples were clearer. If it wasn't for the $25 Yelp coupon, I would probably advise against this school's 5-hour class for anyone who actually needs this information for their road test. But being that I've been driving for almost 20 years, I didn't really need this info. I just went through the class as a mere formality to obtain the certificate. If you're looking to save money and have done all the studying for the test on your own, go here. The class is $40 and the Yelp coupon enables you to get a $40 credit by paying just $25. Probably one of the cheaper 5-hour certificate classes in the city. But definitely not the most effective. Read Less

Love this place .. If you looking to learn quick go here has to get my license for a job in July started in June took my road test June 17th and passed !' Love crystal she really helped me get the job done and perfect my driving go here !!!' Read Less

Lessons with Crystal were really excellent. Her directions and explanations were easy to follow and made sense. My driving really improved with her help. I also took the 5-hour course which was a waste of time and really awful -- it did motivate me to pass my drivers test so that I didn't have to go through that disaster again. Read Less

Do NOT pay full price to come here. I'll give two stars because I only had to pay $17 for the 5hr class on Amazon local and because it's actually more like 4 hours. When I arrived they didn't even know Amazon local had a deal. The woman in the office was very very rude.In the class Ms Johnson literally only discussed K-turns,  2-way roads that don't always have lines, different types of licenses available, and alcohol. Two videos on teen driving (no teens were in our class!), one alcohol true/false quiz, one quiz on road signs. I've taken the 5hr class before (it expired) and there's a lot of other information that is supposed to be taught. Most of the time was spent with her out of the room trying to finish writing our certificates. The instructor was very obnoxious and kept repeating the same joke and making jokes that were offensive. Read Less

I purchased the Groupon deal for the 5 hour class, 3 lessons and a car for the road test, though a bit weary from previous reviews. After taking the 5 hour class, I was impressed with my instructor Avis- he made me feel comfortable and made sure I practiced and focused on the areas where I needed to improve. For my last lesson and the day of my Road Test, I practiced with Crystal who is AHMAZING ! She speaks  to you in the same tone as the road test proctor does, which I thought was extremely helpful and calmed my nerves. Before the test, Crystal gave me a few pointers and cheats to look out for and 1,2,3 I passed with only 10 points.I recommend Blue Steel especially because their cars are all new (I drove in a push to start with Crystal) and  if you can choose either Crystal or Avis as your instructor! Read Less

Warning! This is the only business that I legitimately feel like should not be operating as is. DONT BUY ANY DEAL FROM THEM! Their LivingSocial deals are the worst as well: LivingSocial has a contract with this business so you're sure to see it pop up again. Scam! LivingSocial's customer service dept. doesn't care about the customer once you've purchased a deal, so take note of that. They don't answer the phones to schedule appointments or lessons, they barely respond to emails (and when they do it's unprofessional at best) and refunds are impossible unless you go through your bank. Save your time and money now. I urge you - DO NOT GO HERE. Read Less

I bought the deal from Groupon for 5 hrs licensing course. They advertise like we dont need to make an appointment for that, but actually we NEED to !So, I was calling the school to make an appointment for coming SAT. I called them on Tue, no one answered, I feel neutral. ok ! I will call them again ...I called them on WED, someone hold the ph and when i said HELLO , she /he hung up immediately. wth ! I called them again and again for like 3 or 4 times and they did the same.OK ! the last try. I called again on THURS ! No one answer . I called like every 30 mins  for 5 or 6 times .. NO one answer. then I gave up !so I called the Groupon what is happening? They said they will contact the school and told them to reply me ! So, I waited the reply till Friday.Since I get no reply , no mail from there, I called Groupon again and get refunded .End of my story !Sorry, my tolerance is not good enough ! :( Read Less

WARNING. I would say that BEFORE you download the Yelp Coupon offer, read this... It says 'no appointment necessary on the website - but appointment *IS* necessary, they have an appointments book. People who come off the streets are only 'stand-by'.  Even the standby's get booked in advance (!). So, you turn up at the course building with your coupon in hand and find out that you wont get on the course, (unless you arrived super early and were lucky). So as you've already paid, you then feel obliged to book an appointment  in the office like every other schmuck who didn't know the scheme.  That's how they get you. So my advice. BEFORE you buy the coupon offer, phone them and see if you an book an appointment first.IF you have already bought the coupon offer, get to the course 1.5 hours early to stand  a chance. Read Less

Please don't go here. I feel bad saying that because I genuinely feel that there are some (Avis and Beverly) trying their best, but wow, this place sucks. The office is disorganized and one particular young secretary, EXTREMELY RUDE. I was so happy that I was able to keep my cool, because she deserved a foot up her butt. The 5 hour class was condescending and unprofessional (please read all the other 1star reviews for details.) The actual driving classes with Avis were very helpful, and I gained confidence from his clear direction and praise.I purchased a Living Social deal for: 5 hour class, 3 lessons, car for road test.Boy was I excited. As a favor, I booked my own road test appointment. Boy was that a mistake. The location was one they didn't like to go to (Coney Island) and the day of the week I picked (Monday) there was no instructor ever available on that day.NO ONE EVER SAID THEY HAD TO BOOK EVERYTHING FOR ME.I ended up having to go to another driving school to book a car for the road test.I went to the office to ask if I could have additional driving lessons instead of the car for road test. They said they'd get back to me... Numerous times I call the office during business hours and no one picks up the phone. Finally I talk to someone and they say they'll get back to me...... I'm still waiting.I wish I never bought that coupon.They are running the same deal again... sounds like trouble, stay away. Read Less

This school is a waste total of time. I don't know how G.L's review dated Dec 23, 2012 can be a 5 star experience.I took 5 lessons with Avis. He was a patient instructor. I took 2 lessons with Mrs. Johnson which was an absolute nightmare, a text book example of how a driver should not be: a raging, cursing lunatic.At the end of those lessons, the school informed me that I was scheduled for a test on Dec 3. I took a half day off work. On arrival at the Starrett City (zip code 11239) DMV location, Mrs. Johnson finds out that I am not registered.The school offers a make up test schedule at the Red hook location. Now on Monday, Jan 14, I take a half day off. This time round, Mrs. Johnson has a morning yelling session on where to meet me at an intersection, which she incorrectly communicated to me over the phone. Then, she realizes that the paperwork for another test-candidate was left at their (Blue-Steel's) offices. We head back (the delay has nothing to do with my scheduled test, for which I am now late for). The office is not open as the person who opens the office has not arrived. We arrive at the test area a full hour after our scheduled time. The test supervisor initially rejected all candidates from the school. Mrs. Johnson convinced him into making an exception. The school provided car also had problems starting.I had earlier been promised 15 mins drive prior to being tested in the car, as the car was a different model from what I had experience in. That, of course did not happen, as there was no time to do so after our delay. Mrs. Johnson (my given instructor) has serious issues and needs to be examined by a independent third party for her behavior and outrage. She curses at the prospective students, yells at other motorists while driving at junctions etc. When I stated to her that she is not setting a good example by breaking traffic rules, she replied "I can drive however I want, as long as I don't get pulled over by cops". A fine example to the rest of us.I will not waste my time with BlueSteel again, despite the fact that Avis is a great, patient instructor (which is a shame).(this review has been written by my girlfriend after her great day at BlueSteel today!) - Sanj B. Read Less

This is the absolute WORST driving school ever and AJ AKA Mrs. Johnson is thee worst instructor ever. She kept yelling at me while I was driving, I would ask her for feedback and explain what I should be doing and what I'm doing wrong and she wouldn't tell me anything. She would constantly tell me I'm either not ready for the road test, I may fail or she would see what she  could do w/ me and that I would probably need more lessons - such a great confidence building in an instructor. She tried to have me parallel park at the end of our lesson and got frustrated that I didn't know what she meant when she was giving her crappy directions and she told me to get out the car. She's very impatient and I had to sit and listen to how she's a school bus driver (scary thought already) and then she started talking to me about racist nonsense, and how people probably want me to move out of the neighborhood where I live. And how she doesn't like this race or that. Horrible instructor and service , you get what you pay for, that's why their prices are so cheap. Don't bother with the living social deal, I bought it but I never went back for a second lesson and Living social won't honor a refund  which is fine by me.  Don't waste your time or money they won't teach you anything. And I really question the good reviews people listed, wouldn't be surprised if they were fakes!!! Read Less

Since there is no reciprocal policy when it comes to my foreign driver's license, I had to start from scratch to get a New York one. And so, I drag my lazy behind to start the process of upgrading my learner's permit to the actual driver's license. I needed the 5 hours pre-licensing course and there was an online deal so I came to Blue Steel.Blue Steel Driving and Security School is located on the second level of the building. My understanding is that the interior of these older commercial buildings in this area are usually quite outdated thus I didn't really expected much of the place. However, it is worth noting that the facility was very clean. The office staff was quite neutral and lacked in courtesy which made me feel better that I didn't pay full price for this.Now, onto the 5 hour course: I was going to give this place a 3 stars because it was ok but certain issues nagged me enough to downgrade it to a 2 stars plus making me not recommend it to anyone.The instructor talks too much, too much filler and the stories, anecdotes related or not to the topics are in too much detail and he took his sweet time to narrate them. Surely, this is a 5 hour course, we have all the time but I rather the content to be better. He took time to play the game of putting everyone down since we are all children who think we know it all and just want to get our hands on the wheel and speed away. His objective was to show we didn't know much (which is totally possible, even for 7+ year driver like me), and that the attendees shouldn't see the course as an annoyance but as a real help to keep everyone safe on the roads. But sadly, his deliveries ultimately cross the line to CONDESCENDING on several occasions. Most of the times, his dry jokes on some of the young girls' abilities wiped the smile off their faces. He asked me if I knew what "fog" is. (Because he learned that I was not from around here) I replied him that yes I know what fog is and that I know some English too.At the end of the class, he was casually pushing for the driving lesson the place provides. Not that I really mind it, but it was the way he did it.... by making you feel insecure about your ability to ace the road test.Other than his attitude and his fondness to hear himself talk (and you better get along with his program otherwise, he'll put you down and leave you no room to defend yourself), when he was on the right subject, he was a good teacher. I appreciate the reminders and the tips that I'm sure a lot of drivers out there don't even remember.If you are slightly more "grown up" like me with an aversion to seeing others being picked on and too young to defend themselves, then I would suggest you go take this course somewhere else. Read Less