Optical 88 - review

Optical 88
116 Mott St., NY
Chinatown, on the corner of Mott and Hester St.


Seeking out health care service is a scary task for me, and I get easily frustrated when the service is less than competent. Finding Optical 88 in Chinatown was a great find, especially to one like me who really is very particular about her vision correction.

The store itself is clean and friendly, very open and light. They must have had a good feng shi expert because the atmosphere works. They somehow cram in a ton of glasses frames into what seems to be a limited space, and they fit the lenses to the glasses right there on the spot, on the other side of the display counters. In back is the optometrist's office, and they have five optomstrists on staff. A good portion of the eye exam is done by the staff on a couple of machines on the backside of the counter, before they bring you in to see the doctor. The doctor I had was named Richards, and she was nice enough, though a little preachy. She at least had more energy and personality than the last one I saw who did a routine check on some new contact samples I received - this other lady, whose name wasn't offered and I did not bother to ask, looked as if she could not be more bored.

Anyway, the staff was great. I did have some trouble getting the proper contacts, as my brand of choice was backordered for two weeks, but as they promised, they called when the samples arrived, and they worked perfectly.

Pros: quick service, no need for appointment; competent service

Cons: optomitrists seemed to be a secondary component of the store, but they were good enough, much better than what other places I've been to in the city