Oculus 20/20

I have been going to Oculus ²⁰⁄₂₀ for since they originally opened on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens. I find that Dr Poran has the most comprehensive eye exam, she is extremely thorough. There is a wide selection of frames at various price points that are fabulous. Although there are several new frame shops in the neighborhood they are not full service operations. Oculus ²⁰⁄₂₀ is the best.

I bought some expensive French frames here more than 10 years ago which I loved – they were ahead of their time style-​wise when I bought them and the store owner selected them himself (FYI – not sure if he’s still involved directly in the store). I’ve always received compliments on the frames he picked out for me. This year, after spending hundreds of dollars (at a different eyeglass store) to get progressive lenses put in the frames, a temple on the frame broke, and I was worried I’d have to buy an entirely new set of glasses. I was so pleased to find this store still up and running. I walked in near closing time, quite desperate, as I had no other glasses to see distance. The assistant showed me a pair I could purchase affordably, with lightweight long-​distance lenses, while I waited for my glasses to get repaired. It took a few days for the French frames to get to the lab, but once they did, they were fixed almost immediately and at about the price I was quoted (very little money considering the original cost of the frames). Overall, I feel I was well cared for and treated respectfully.

Dr. Poran has given my family eye exams for several years now and we are very happy with the thoroughness of her exams (for me and for my two young children) and the service we receive! She remembers me when I come in, is clear about insurance coverage specifics, is patient and never rushed, very professional. I’ve stopped in several times to have my glasses adjusted and they’ve happily adjusted the frames each time. I was also fitted for contact lenses there, and Dr. Poran diligently found the best lenses for me when it turned out my eyes seem particularly sensitive to wearing lenses. She was great with my kids during their exams. We will keep going back! I’m surprised to read the negative reviews because we’ve always had such good experiences.

These guys are the bomb! I am having a hard time transitioning to wearing glasses, and even though I’m not quite «set» yet, they keep holding my hand throughout the process. The glasses are beautiful! I mean really high quality stunning choices. But the main thing is I’m struggling with my prescription, and the doctor insists we will work on it till it’s right. That is a huge deal. A pair of glasses is an investment, so I worried about making the leap. But they are committed to helping me get set. Thank goodness I found someone local to hold my hand while I try to adjust.

After trying several other doctors in the neighborhood, I’ve been an Oculus customer for several years. Dr. Poran is very thorough and helpful, and she has given me a better prescription than I have had for several years. I have been very pleased with the quality and selection of eyeglass frames as well as contact lenses. It may be a little more expensive than some other «chains» in the area but the level of service makes it worth it. They also take most insurance which is helpful (including VSP, which many others in the area do not).

I stopped in last weekend to inquire about a scratch in my Ray Ban sunglasses and whether it could be taken out or if I had to replace the lenses. I told the woman that I lived nearby and found their store on the Ray Ban website as an authorized dealer. In a rude tone, she told me that they didn’t have a contract with Ray Ban anymore and that scratches couldn’t be taken out. The whole time, the woman treated me like I was stupid and she was better than me. I’ll never go into this store again.

I was just looking up their phone number and felt they needed a new updated review. Let me start by saying I have been seeing Amy Poran off and on for 9 years. and its correct, her exams are expensive but she is worth it. There have been times where I did not have insurance./ $$ to pay the $ 175 fee and I went elsewhere for my contact exam and let me tell you what a mistake it was, I wound up being talked into contacts that didn’t fit my crazy eyes bc the dr did not want to deal with the amount of follow ups that went into the Standard Exam. Maybe if you have simple eyes, you do not need more than 1, but when my eyes change, I need 3 appointments.
And yes, her glasses used to be expensive as they were all designer. But she too has changed and recognized that there are people that max out at $ 200 and now she has those types as well. and they are MUCH better quality then what you get on line or at other mall stores.
Oh, and I live in Queens and take the F train there– she is that good.

I’ve been seeing Amy Poran for years and am always happy with my eye exams — she has a positive, calm presence, takes her time and is thorough in checking on everything. My prescription has been shifting slightly (my sight is getting better!) and she’s done a great job working with me on testing out different lens options. The frames can be a bit pricey, but they have great sales and since I only use mine for reading both pairs have lasted for several years now with the staff readjusting them as needed. They also did a great job helping me select the frames, finding styles that really suited me. I definitely recommend this place, and have to several friends over the years who have all had great experiences getting glasses here.

Twice as expensive as any optometrist I have ever been to. The exam was not thorough enough to validate paying such a high fee. Eye glass selection pricy and limited.
It is convenient and nice décor inside but that is about the only advantages.

I paid $ 900 for a pair of glasses and a 15 minute eye exam that didn’t include anything other than sight exam. I have received a more thorough evaluation from LensCrafters for a quarter the price. I had a slight vision issue with long distance and when I asked about surgery she said it wasn’t enough for a doctor to take me seriously. She then proceeded to try to sell me glasses for it. I chose to only buy reading glasses and walked out $ 900 poorer anyhow.
I popped in last week to have my glasses adjusted and I was treated as a hassle. When I asked to have my sunglasses adjusted (a process that took 20 seconds for my eye glasses) which I purchased somewhere else they told me it was a $ 10 fee. Go somewhere else unless you love wasting your money.

I tend not to give bad reviews, I just move on. I only do reviews when high praise is really called for, so I don’t do too many. Several years back my wife told me that she thought she was having eye problems and our eye doctor at that time wasn’t taking her concerns seriously and just gave her the standard cursory exam. I said let’s find another doctor then. That is when we went to see Dr. Amy Poran. She took my wife’s concerns seriously and gave her a thorough exam, uncovering early onset glaucoma. Thanks to Dr. Poran we caught it quickly and are able to manage it. My wife is doing fine and we feel like we’ve found the perfect, professional, eye doctor for us for years to come. Review aside, thank you Dr. Amy Poran.

I’ve been going to Dr. Amy Poran for a number of years now, and think very highly of her as an optometrist. She’s very competent and thorough. The selection of eyewear is more limited than some other places, as others have noted, but I feel that Dr. Poran has a very good eye for what looks good, and have been pleased with her recommendations. The service is professional, if occasionally a bit restrained, but I don’t mind that. In fact prefer it to pushy or gushy hard sell. If the eyewear suits your taste, you’ll be happy with your choice and with the fit that Oculus ²⁰⁄₂₀ provides. And if there’s a problem with the fit, just return and they’ll fix it. You’ll most certainly get a terrific eye exam.

I had a contact emergency and ran into this store looking to replace my contact which had torn. As I had no others to switch it with I thought I would have to go without having vision for the next couple of days. I explained my situation everyone was really understanding and helpful and within 5 minutes I had a replacement. I wasn’t even charged anything which is amazing! Love these guys. Thanks for being so helpful.

Please save your money and go elsewhere… like H Optics in LES.
I went here 2 different times for the Dr. to correct my prescription and it wasnt even close and it was over priced and the Dr. was rude.

I had an eye exam at the Smith Street location today and I was very happy with everything — basically, everything went quickly and smoothly. The woman working at the front desk was pleasant and efficient, and Dr. Poran was very nice and took good care of me. I didn’t order any glasses — I’m getting contacts instead — so I can’t comment on their selection of frames. But overall, I had a very good experience and got just what I wanted — a simple eye exam, done quickly by a friendly doctor with a nice staff member! Best of all, I was in and out in under an hour. I will come here again.

I just bought my third pair of frames here and love this place. They have an excellent selection of special and high end frames that are hard to find anywhere and when you find them are at much higher prices in Manhattan. The service has been excellent each time I have purchased my frames here. I highly recommend Oculus.

I really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, their poor selection and terrible customer service won’t let me.
First, their selection is not great, to put it mildly. They essentially carry one or two high-​end designers, as far as I can tell, and that’s it. Of course, larger does not necessarily mean better, but c’mon, they really don’t have much here. Of course, the limited amount of frames they do have are very nice, assuming they fit your face. So after trying on several pairs that didn’t work at all, I finally found one that was pretty close, though I still wasn’t sure. «No, no,» they ensured me, «it looks great on you, and besides, you should take a chance on something new.» OK, fine, so I spent close to $ 500 on the frames, thinking that a nice little shop like this knows what they’re doing. It arrives a week or two later, and looks awful on me. I immediately complain, and ask what they can do about it. Um… nothing. I’m stuck. No return period, no discount on future frames, no offer of anything.
But that’s not why I’m writing this review. The frames they gave me included a hard case, which lasted about a year before it broke and wouldn’t stay closed. So I stop by my little neighborhood glasses store, and recognize the guy working there as the same one who sold my frames. I tell him what happened, and ask if they have any extra cases. Also, my girlfriend is with me, who says she needs new frames and starts looking at their stock. The clerk confirms my info on their computer, then says, «We actually sell the cases. They’re five bucks.» Um… what?! My girlfriend and I are shocked. We’re clearly interested in becoming repeat customers, and you’re going to charge me $ 5 for a new case when the one you gave me a year ago for my FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR glasses broke? Infuriating.
Neither me nor my girlfriend will ever go back here.

I think maybe this place is getting better. I always have a pretty good experience and the Dr, Amy Poran, is always really nice and helpful.

For t he last two years I have taken my daughter to Oculus ²⁰⁄₂₀ for glasses and eye exams. Amy Poran, the optometrist, was gentle and thorough with my kindergartener, who I thought would never get into a vision chair ever again after our first nightmarish visit to an ophthalmologist in the Heights.
While I wish they had a better selection of children’s frames, we’ve found good glasses that my daughter loves four or five times now. We’ve timed our visits to match Oculus’ year end sale, when their prices are really quite good.
I have recommended Oculus without hesitation to other people whose children wear glasses, and I have only ever heard wonderful things about Amy.

Do not waste your money or time here!
These people have not a clue about customer service. They are nice to you when you are in there about to spend a ton of money on your glasses, but later trouble ensues.
I paid extra money for both a glasses and contact lens exam, but they never gave me my contact lens prescription. This is a little trick I’ve noticed some of these sleazy optometrists employ so that you feel in some way forced to purchase from them, which is stupid considering they charge way more than online retailers. To top it off, I emailed asking for a copy of my prescription telling them I needed to order new contacts and was sent some bullshit that doesn’t hold up as a prescription. Next I called and received a curt notification that they wouldn’t fax the prescription until the next day; they didn’t even follow through on this. A couple of days later, the company I was attempting to order the contacts through then called and asked for verification, but they didn’t bother to call them back. Finally they reached them with me the phone, and they verified the prescription but hung up the phone on us.