Brooklyn Pilates

I found the studio on Classpass and have always had a great experience up until taking a class with Barbara. I’m relatively new to using a reformer so I have been taking the Level 1 classes. I’ve had several instructors who were all awesome. I recently took a class that was open to all levels taught by Barbara. She didn’t even say hello, introduce herself, ask about injuries, etc Instead she was texting on her phone while beginning the class. The class was only 3 people, so I thought this came off as rude and impersonal. Then she got extremely impatient with me and other students who weren’t doing the moves exactly how she wanted us to. She doesn’t describe how to get into the poses/​moves with the best detail, especially not for beginners. I think she realized she was upsetting me because she then attempted to be nicer with corrections and came up to me after class. One of the rudest things she did during the class when she went to give us an instruction that involved props and rudely said: «What? You guys didn’t feel like grabbing props?» Funny how she blamed us when she never told us to grab them because she was too busy texting and not properly starting class. I was really disappointed by this experience and walked out of the class feeling inadequate.

I’ve skimmed through all the reviews and noticed that I’m not the only one that’s been bothered by Barbara’s attitude. I have been here before with a different instructor (forgot name) but I also felt uncomfortable with her. I don’t think this place is appropriate for people who are new to pilates. They don’t seem to have the patience for them. What I also find extremely annoying is their reformer. I read here that their equipment was designed by a former apple engineer??? Huh? That thing makes the loudest «CLONK» sound when you move it back towards the footbase yet Barbara gets annoyed with her students when she hears that sound as if its our fault she has poor reformers. It also does not have an easy to adjust footbase like other reformers I’ve worked with. You have to play around with it a lot to get it to move up/​down.

Brooklyn Pilates is a solid studio that greatly demonstrates and educates the basics of reformer pilates exercises, in addition to master stair skills (we should all be used to this by now from living in NYC and can’t complain much of a three-​four story walk up to their studio, come on). I’ve taken their Mixed Level 1 Reformer and jumpboard classes, and was satisfied for the most part except one experience. The exercises tend to cover more of the basic foundations, and of course thrown in with some slightly more intermediate activities. Nothing felt too out of the box here which I liked since I always came out feeling very proportionately worked out throughout my body.
Out of the instructors here I would not recommend Barbara for first-​timers/​new students. She is a tough teacher and may potentially be discouraging for new students who are not used to the art of reformer pilates. I was also personally very turned off by her manners and personality, and felt that all of us students were doing the exercises incorrectly and being scolded for it.
Equipment and environment is very nice and has a pleasant Brooklyn serene-​ness to it. There is not really an official front desk and it may be confusing for first-​timers who kind of have to awkwardly wait by the side for the prior class to finish in order to sign waiver forms etc. If you’re an avid reformer pilates user I would definitely drop by here to maintain that toned pilates physique.

I went to an intro class here and it was great. The instructor was fantastic with my newbie-​ness, and the equipment was beautiful, the room clean, and generally no complaints. They even loaned me socks when I forgot you needed them for equipment classes. Would definitely return if I were in the area!

Brooklyn Pilates is convenient for me, so I attend Level 1 occasionally through ClassPass. This is my first Pilates experience, and I found I really enjoy using the reformers. The classes are small and intimate, which is nice.
So far, I’ve had Kristen, Barbara, and Despina as teachers. I liked Kristen a lot, but was a little unimpressed by Barbara and Despina. I found Barbara to almost border on rude occasionally. At one point in class when she was trying to get someone’s attention to correct their form, she actually yelled «hello! hello! HELLO?!» at them, instead of walking over to them, using their name, or a multitude of other, more polite options. I think she owns the place, so it was a little surprising to me.

I am a Classpass-​er, and I have now visited the studio twice with two different instructions: Lauren and Bianca.
I have to say, first of all, that I am not in shape (at all), and have been attending a lot of pilates classes since joining classpass to help with flexibility and strength. I have fallen in love with pilates, but this was my first reformer studio. (I have much more experience with tower and mat classes).
As for the facility, if you can stomach the 4 story climb (it’s a warm up!), this is really a beautiful studio space. The machines are very quiet, comfortable, new-​looking, and the whole place just has a cool Brooklyn vibe. There aren’t lockers, just cubbies, but no one is going to steal anything, as you’re right in the room and can see the entire time. There’s two bathrooms and one has a shower that can be used after class.
Both of the classes that I took were Reformer Level 1 courses, as I have never worked with a reformer before. Lauren is very cute, but serious, though she does get friendlier and friendlier as you prove to her that you are there to work and not to waste time. She was exceedingly patient with me (as an out of shape newbie) and really took the time to teach us, not just about pilates, but about the machine itself. The day that I attended class, I had already injured my back at a different class (different studio) earlier that week, and Lauren was great about suggesting how to stretch it out and not kill myself during that killer ball squeeze regimen.
Bianca was fun from the beginning. She has a very airy, loose sense of humor that I really appreciated after a long work-​day. She was great about correcting everyone’s form and did a good job of alternating intensity.
I really enjoyed both classes. I took Lauren in the morning and Bianca in the evening, and I felt like both of them suited my mood perfectly for that time of day. (Lauren gets your butt into gear for the day ahead, Bianca forces you to release tension from the day).
I definitely will go here all 3 times that classpass allows. If you’re feeling like you’re not getting enough of a workout, you should probably attend one of the more advanced levels or ask for an advanced modifier. Also, many people use the momentum of the machine to move instead of using their abs like they’re supposed to, which causes them to not feel the burn.

I LOVEEEE this studio! Being an avid pilates girl for 2 years, I can tell you firsthand that this is one of the hardest pilates reformer workouts I have ever had. Barbara was my teacher this past Saturday and I was actually sweating (which is not common for pilates classes in my experience). I also woke up with that «good sore» feeling in my legs and arms. I feel like Barbara does a mix of classical and modern pilates which makes things so much more interesting. I will be going back this weekend for another one of her classes.

HORRIBLE. Signed up for a Level 1 Beginner Pilates Reformer class having done Pilates before but never on a Reformer Machine. The instructor was very unprofessional and rude and instead of teaching how to use the machine, came over multiple times during the class to ask if I’d ever done Pilates and to inform me that they had an even lower level of class. No matter the level of class or student, instructors should encourage and cultivate their students (who are paying for their service) and focus on helping them rather than criticizing them in an unprofessional and unproductive way.

For everyone complaining that the classes are too easy – take Barbara’s class. She’s one of the owners, and even her «Level 1» classes kick my butt, and I consider myself to be athletic. I agree some teachers are easier (Karina) but I think Barbara’s and Lauren’s classes are challenging. All three are very friendly, and they make the time fly by! (As a footnote, I am a classpass-​er as well!)

This review is for the instructor Allison, I took my first class at this studio with her and loved it so I kept coming just for her! I used to take private Pilates classes with a great teacher so I am very picky and Allison was wonderful! She is very professional and fun at the same time, she makes you feel comfortable and gives you a great workout! She is very detailed and always changes it up, which I love! I was leaving class one day & another women asked me to remind her of her name because she loved her class so much more than some of the other instructors and wanted to come back for her, I couldn’t help but agree! Be sure to take a class with Allison if you are coming to this studio.

My experience here was lukewarm – in part because of the workout, and in part because of the professionalism.
The workout: As others have already mentioned, the actual moves were basic. I don’t know how else to describe it. I am not athletic and I am new to Pilates and I felt close to nothing and had minimal form correction (I’m sure I deserved some since I kept tweaking my positioning to find a burn). At least two of the clients were brand new to Pilates and even they were left mostly to themselves; a far cry from Core Pilates NYC (in Manhattan).
The studio staff: my first impression was less than stellar. I walked in and the person at the desk (who I eventually realized was the instructor Allison) ignored me to go on a long rant about a ClassPass-​er who mixed up the location but didn’t want to be charged. Well. I’m a ClassPass-​er who DID show up and I’m standing here being ignored by you! In addition, she handed me a waiver, which I filled out and handed back; 5 minutes later I asked where I can wait for class to start and she looks me dead in the face and asks me if I have signed a waiver. *face palm*
After the class started things picked up and she was nice but by then my impression of the place was already biased.
The positives: the reformers look like the Jetsons’ beds (I’m an 80’s child, sue me); they were smooth and quiet to work with. The studio was airy and clean. The fourth floor walk up is a wonderful warm up. The were no lockers, just cubbies but if someone nicks your stuff, just throw them down the steep stairs.
I’d probably revisit if this was the last studio I haven’t gone to in my ClassPass month but I most likely will not make the troop out to BK for this again.

I’m a huge fan of this place. Great location — easy to find, beautiful space. Super clean with new machines and large windows. I’ve been to the Sunday morning and Tuesday evening classes which are both taught by awesome teachers. The small class size allows for lots of attention from the instructor. I’ve learned so much more here about technique, stamina etc. than many other pilates/​reformer studios I’ve been to before. I leave after an hour feeling stronger and happier. Such a great workout… I’m sore for days afterwards! My only complaint is that each class is a bit expensive, but I guess that it’s on par with NYC prices in general eek!

I wanted to love this place SO badly (since I live just 3 blocks away and typically workout in the city), but unfortunately Julius’ review is spot on. While the studio is very nice and the instructor I had (Allison) was incredibly sweet and very likeable and even let us customize the class with body parts we wanted to focus on, I must sadly report that this is more of a rest day active recovery /​stretch than a real toning, muscle defining workout. I don’t do pilates often, but I run and do barre and am generally athletic and I did not break a sweat in this class (not even one droplet).
One thing I think the studio could improve upon is moving more slowly through the exercises to force more control in the movements and allow for a deeper burn. I might come back in a few weeks to try Karina since people seem to like her classes, but bklyn pilates, if you’re reading this – please come out with some harder classes for your young and active neighborhood clientele!

I really love Brooklyn Pilates, so much so that I almost want to keep it a secret and not share how great of a studio it is with anyone else! This is a really gem, and if you can get over the 4^th floor walk up, then you will realize how amazing this pilates studio is. I have been here just a handful of times but each experience is wonderful. The teachers are educated, helpful, kind and friendly and it all makes for a great experience.

I’m also a Classpass convert (whoa, it’s awesome!) I was one of two students in the Tuesday 10am class and the extra attention was very welcomed.
Allison, the instructor, explained all of the activities thoroughly and had a great sense of humor. She was able to adjust the class to our actual skills without any issue. As everyone else has noted, the studio is beautiful and the equipment is FANCY. Will come again!

The Brooklyn Pilates space is beautiful. White and airy, so much unlike the S/​M style Pilates dungeons I’ve encountered elsewhere.
Sadly, the serene atmosphere is not matched by equally equanimous personnel. I started out with a $ 100 ‘private’ with co-​owner Barbara who rushed me through the exercises, talking about her own health issues and sounding overall stressed and preoccupied. While she surely knows what she is doing (and has no qualms about continuously advertising her expertise), I felt very uncomfortable and would not want to work with her again.
To top things off, I received a freaked-​out call that night asking me to stop by to pay for the lesson in cash, since she had not been able to get the technology to work and my credit card payment had not gone through. I’ve encountered other new business owners who struggled with technology in the past, but they handled it with poise. I don’t think I even received an apology from Barbara.
I was also informed that only one of the instructors, Karina, was experienced enough to work with students with physical limitations like my own. Everyone else had just finished school. I certainly think it’s great if a business owner gives newbies a chance, but in my opinion, they shouldn’t account for the vast majority of the staff.
Luckily, Karina is a wonderful instructor, which is why my rating is as high as it is.

Cute studio and a good addition to the neighborhood.
The workout is very basic. Instructors are all pretty and skinny but not very strong or athletic and seem to cater to a similar clientele gearing more towards yoga and relaxation than getting sweaty and building muscle (which I prefer).
Overall it’s a good supplementary class to take on one of your rest days, but if you’re looking for a place to get in shape on a regular basis, there are better studios.

Beautiful gorgeous studio with a great view and new equipment. I took Mixed Level Reformer with Barbara thru ClassPass. Good, challenging class using a variety of props. I only wish this studio were located in a neighborhood I live or work close to because I would come back more often.

Took their 10am class this morning and fell in love with this place.
It’s located on the 4^th floor (walk up) on Montague. The studio is small but the space is laid out nicely and you won’t feel cramped.
My instructor was amazing! She was kind, explained everything clearly, cheered me on and was funny.
She took special requests as to areas we wanted to focus on and provided great direction on execution of the moves.
It is truly a full body workout. I didn’t sweat but I am damn sure that my body will be sore later tonight and tomorrow morning.
There are 2 private restrooms. The one inside the studio has a shower stall which means I will be coming back for a weekday morning class.

Beautifully designed studio hidden away in a fourth floor walk up on Montague Street! I’ve only taken one class so far (thanks Classpass!!) but it was great. Allison was fun, funny, and TOUGH. The 45 minute express class started with strengthening exercises for feetsies, pelvic floor, core, buns, and inner thighs and ended with some nice foam roller love for those tight IT bands and sore necks.
Top notch equipment designed by a former Apple engineer. Reclaimed (looking) wood floors. Crystal chandeliers. A bathroom that’s probably nicer than the one in your apartment…
I will definitely be back!

This studio is absolutely gorgeous, and the intro to reformer class I took was everything an introductory class should be. Karina was welcoming, hilarious, and informative. I have taken pilates mat before, but she still walked through everything very clearly, and explained how mat exercises would relate to the reformer. Classes are small and very individualized, with several suggestions for how to modify based on the areas you wanted to work, or injuries you may have.
While the intro class is free, other classes are kind of pricey – no more than other boutique fitness studios. Purchasing a 10-​pack puts you under $ 30 a class which I feel is worth it based on the kind of attention you receive AND top of the line equipment. I can’t wait to go back for my first official class on Saturday!