Harborside Optical

Harborside Optical was amazing! The customer service was exceptional. I didn’t have an appointment and just walked-​in one day. I was greeted by every member of the staff and one of the opticians immediately came over to speak with me. She was extremely patient in helping me select a pair of glasses. She answered all of my questions and even checked to see if they could special order a pair of glasses in a certain color for me. After we selected a pair of Oliver Peoples glasses, she reviewed and explained my insurance benefit. The price that I paid for the glasses was definitely comparable to other providers.
Shortly thereafter, I received a call from Harborside Optical indicating that my glasses were ready for pick up. When I arrived, the optician remembered me. He patiently adjusted the glasses for me. I was also given a complimentary cleaning situation, lint free tissues and a cleaning cloth!
Overall, they provided me with excellent customer service. They had a wonderful selection of high-​quality frames. Thank you!

Stay away.
I really do not need to say much more but will give someone the opportunity to make his or her own decision.
As the previous reviewer mentioned below, at the end of the day, this is similar to a used car dealership. What you are promised on the phone is not what you will receive when you get there. The office exists, in my opinion, as a place of convenience and nowhere near a place of concern, nor a love for the industry.
I called a full week prior to ask specific questions and concerns that needed to be addressed before setting up an appointment. This was my first year using my optical benefit and so I asked questions regarding the payment and the exam I would received. I also SPECIFIED that I would like to leave with my prescription, including all details as this is my process with all of my eye exams whether I purchase with the office or not. I was assured that my prescription would include all details.
The day of my appointment, the staff greeted me in a very friendly manner. I was taken immediately into the exam room for my appointment with Dr. Melchiorre. The doctor was great. I explained that I was very anxious as my previous eye doctor is now retired and I no longer work in the city. The exam went well and she performed a thorough exam with the exception of dilation, which we agreed would happen a few days later.
Once I left the room, I was introduced to Jason. Jason made his suggestions and I confirmed that I would like a few days to think about, would coordinate with him when I return for my dilation and requested his prescription suggestions in prescription format. Jason wrote three prescriptions. I confirmed the PD number was missing from all of them. Jason wrote the PD number on one of them. I asked him if this was the PD for the others and he confirmed yes.
A few minutes after leaving the office, I had to call Jason to confirm that I only received three prescriptions and not the four that we discussed. After some, back and forth I requested the remaining prescription be emailed to me. It was, without the PD number.
It turns out the PD numbers are not all the same with my prescriptions (so they are liars also) and that is when the nightmare began. After several emails from the company, which were general in nature and did nothing to address my specific concern I called the office. I was connected to Jason.
I explained to Jason that historically I have ALWAYS left my doctor’s office with this information. Jason refused to give me this information and at first tried to blame it on the fact that PD is associated with frame purchase. This is complete BS.
After going back and forth for way too long in my opinion, he outright refused to provide me with this information. At first PD was specific to frame purchase and then he confirmed the staff should have never promised this information because it is only supplied, with the purchase of glasses.
So, based on the other reviews on the site, if I spent $ 500 with them I would have been provided with these details but other than that, it was my lost. They already charged my insurance and promised me the world, now additional details are not their problem.
I understand their goal as a business and I should be given the right to exercise my rights as to whether I want to purchase with them or anyone else on this planet. They will be compensated by my insurance so why be a douche bag about the rest of the process?
Never ever again Harborside. Shame on you. No good will ever come of your business for not being upfront from the beginning.

What an amazing experience! Customer service at its best! Dory assisted me to make my appointment, she was polite, extremely enthusiastic and eafer to help me find frames that I would like.
When I arrived I was greeted by each staff person with a friendly hello. My optician Jason seated me immediately. He explained my insurance benefit and how to optimize the benefit to receive the most for my money. He was patient and helpful in selecting my eyeware.
Dr. Melchiorre was exceptional. Made detailed notes of my history and performed a very thorough eye exam. She was very warm and caring. Not the typical old grouchy eye doctor lol.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the store owner Dennis, as he was present at the time of my appointment. He asked about my experience today at the center. Which I described to him as wonderful. Its very nice to see a hands-​on owner not only involved with the day to day operations but also concerned with providing excellent customer service.
The price I paid for the exam, glasses & contacts was comparable to other providers in JC. The experience is what sets them apart from other providers!!! It was much more enjoyable. They offer traditional and trendy frames in an unpretentious professional environment! This will be my go to place for my yearly exam! Thank you!

The doctor is very experienced and people are all super nice. They have a very nice selection of high quality frames, and I am very happy working with them. I do wish they carry lower end frames too.

Everyone here is pretty nice but the place is too expensive as far as frames go. I have a pair of nice titanium frames I paid quite a bit for a couple years ago, still in excellent condition. They tried to upsell me on of their frames saying that my lenses might not hold up in those frames because frames are old. That’s total BS, I bought the titanium frames because I knew they are hardy and light hard to bend or break. Not to mention that they have served me very well for the past 3 years.
So when I said no to frames, contact lenses conversation came up. The salesperson told me if I ordered from them they will give me discount couplons. I always order contacts online and I can’t possibly imagine getting contacts at Harbourside for less especially with all these coupons and rebates that takes weeks or even months to process.
Advantages of Harbourside is the doctors are nice and willing to take walk ins. I would stay away from purchasing frames or contacts there — you are guaranteed to be overcharged.

Wow, this was a first for me.
I actually received a thank you card from the cutie optician after she read my Unilocal review. A hand-​written thank you card. Holla at ya boy, Janet!
Now, that’s dope customer interaction.

stay away from this store. what a rip off! this place is like a used car dealership where they try to sell you the crappiest stuff for the highest price.
The owner tried to upsell me anything that’s not covered by my insurance. He will go on forever until you buy the most expensive contacts instore. They wont tell you what is covered by your insurance and when you press tham hard enough they will point to one frame and say that that’s the one piece of crap that is covered.
The reality is that there are several frames that are covered by you insurance provider. When i called them for the appointment they said they carried several of these, but after i was there the story was completely different. After insisting on knowing why the other frames were not covered by the insurance they finally admitted that some others were and showed me a few more options.
Aslo, be warned that they NEVER have any glasses pre-​cut and in stock. And it takes forever until they arrive. They lied to me over the phone and said that they usually carry most correction glasses instore.
Bottomline: avoid the pain, and go elsewhere

I’ve purchased my contacts from here 3 years straight. Janet was very helpful with educating me on the various rebate incentives offered by the contact lens manufacturers and completed the forms for me.

Harborside Optical is a small upscale office that provided wonderful customer service. Cannot be compared to commercial optometrists, this firm provided full services. There was a great range of luxury branded frames and even carried some vintage frames at affordable price points.
I didn’t have a problem booking an appointment, it was actually sooner than I expected since this office was busy when I visited. They also have an additional location in WTC. Dr. Anthony was such a great doctor, he made me feel relaxed (I dread anything pertaining to my eyes) compared to the rush appointments I have had with prior optometrists. I was assisted by Jason and Louis, who were both very attentive in helping me find a nice contemporary pair of frames. Unfortunately the frames I wanted didn’t come in the color I wanted, but Jason kindly ordered it for me.
It was a nice experience, if you’re looking for quality, I highly recommend Harborside Optical.

Service was great. Very nice and helpful people. Nice array of frames as well. As for contacts, delivery comes within a day. For the Jersey City area I’d definitely recommend.

went to this place based on the good reviews — i must say i have been impressed. the staff are helpful, and the doctor was very personable. however, they suggested i get brown transition lenses while i typically go with dark ones. i was a bit dissappointed with the brown — but here is why the 5 star review. i went in and mentioned that i am not enjoying the brown transitions and they ordered me replacement lenses without a big hassle! great.

Small shop but super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Doctor was on time and did not rush the appointment. Exam room was clean and comfortable.
Good selection of frames with friendly, not pushy, staff on floor.

Small optical place located in Jersey City with staff who are friendly and knowledgable. I will definitely be going here next year. They have all the name brand glasses but I went with contacts this time

Just wanted to update that I was charged b/​c my insurance doesn’t cover contact fittings (the $ 90) IF I don’t purchase contacts on that visit. I did mention over the phone that I wore both contacts and glasses and I believed both prescriptions to be out of date; but once I arrived, I clearly stated to the front staff that I was only going to order glasses. I’m just going to assume this wasn’t relayed to the doctor in the back rather than think they fitted me for contacts anyway just to make a few bucks.
Nonetheless, my insurance covers either glasses OR contact lenses so I would have had to pay 100% out of pocket for one of these. Once again, just wish someone would have reiterated this to me, as I have experienced with other facilities, so we could have avoided this confusion.

Great staff, very nice, attentive and good looking!
Dr. Kwan was great! She listened to the complaint and explained everything very thoroughly.
Pros: Great staff, high energy
Cons: Doesn’t take medical insurance

Note, my previous review is not displaying in results so am re-​posting.
This place is great. I average a new pair of frames every 2 – 3 years and have done business with opticians in NYC, but I am so happy with the service here that I may be a lifer. The staff is super helpful and strives to find exactly what you are looking for; and if you’re not sure (which is often the case with new glasses) they will guide you in the right direction. I have worn rimless Ti frames for 4 years and wanted something new that they described as «geek chic» — within minutes the staff had selected a few great pairs of frames.
The prices were amazing — with my VSP I got a vision exam for only $ 10 and an awesome set of Bvlgari specs (including incredibly thin lenses, anti-​glare, the works) for around $ 300.
The service is great — Kimberly and Shaleen are both amazingly attentive & incredibly sweet, and Dennis gave great advice, even suggesting I order my frames 2 mm smaller to better suit my face. They remembered me by name when I dropped in unannounced a week later to pick up the order. The doctor was nice too — I agree with another poster he was a bit goofy, but the exam was quick and painless.
All in all a great experience — check them out!

The service here was great. Everyone was attentive. The assistant Kimberly was especially awesome. she was so nice and friendly… The doctor seemed very knowledgeable as well and def did not act like most optometrists… None of the how’s this? 1 or… 2???
I also found the prices to be really good I got my exam, fitting, and 1 years worth of daily contacts for less than 200… This is with vsp plan and additional 15% off and 75 dollar rebate.
There was not too much selection on glasses, but if ur looking for an eye place that has great service, try this place
Side note: they said if I have problems I can go back there and they’ll help for free!

Be careful of their sales talk and make sure you ask for charges upfront.
Place is inefficient — a straightforward eye checkup for contact lens took 2 hours mostly because of all that sales talk and kissing up to customers. Also — they tried to sell me a 1 year’s supply of Acuvue Oasys because I would get a $ 100 rebate but THEY OMITTED EXPLANATION THAT THE $ 100 ACUVUE REBATE WAS FOR FIRST TIME USERS ONLY! And clearly I told them that I was already using Acuvue Oasys. A simple visit ended up costing me $ 488!

I came here last month and this was by far the best optometry group I have ever been to (of the 6 I’ve been to in the past 20 years)
The other month I was in the ER working a 24 shift, got sprayed with MRSA in one eye draining an abscess, and after sleeping for a few hours at home, woke up with the worst pain of my life in that eye and couldn’t open either eye. After regaining some vision, I called these guys up and asked for an appointment since they were the closest to me, and they said they were booked for that day. I mentioned it *might* be a medical emergency, they told me to come in right away and their optometrist will see me as soon as I arrive — which he did, with my huge swollen face.
Staff: Very friendly, personable, patient. I didn’t have my insurance card at the time, so Kimberly (a former trauma nurse), offered to call up every major insurance company to find my coverage (and she actually did!). While browsing for glasses, they both helped me a lot and chipped in their honest advice re what looked good or bad. Some of the nicest and down to earth people I have ever met.
Optometrist: Fast and efficient, but won’t make you feel rushed, and educated me about everything I needed to know about my situation. He even found a huge error in my prescription overlooked by my other optometrist (whom I thought was knowledgeable as his role as official optometrist for a major hockey league I won’t mention here). This doctor’s a grad from New England in Boston, has an excellent fund of knowledge, and will answer all your questions without making you feel like an idiot.
Collection: I was given a few samples of contacts to try out, samples of ointments, and lens cleaners. Collection of glasses isn’t the most extensive I’ve ever seen, but they carry all the Kazuo Kawasakis here (the same glasses Sarah Palin and Stephen Colbert wear, among other celebrities).
Area: inside a small shopping strip next to the Hyatt and Exchange place Path and Liberty Light rail. Clean, professional, and upscale.
I’m moving to Mass soon, and despite that, will be coming back here for my eye exams.

I recently got my eyes checked out at Harborside Optical. I’ve never had a problem with my vision before and have always had perfect ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision. But I suppose that a few years of working in an office and staring at a computer for 8 hours a day has taken its toll. My eyes have felt strained in the past year and often feel blurry by the end of the day when staring at the computer screen.
Since I was recently told I’d be getting laid off in a few months, I decided it was time to make all thos doctor’s appointments I’d been putting off while I still have insurance coverage! I made an appointment at Harborside Optical because of its convenient location, inside the building I work in.
The doctor (who’s name I can’t even remember) was actually a pretty nice, albiet goofy guy. He checked my eyes and said I could stand to wear glasses while I worked or even when reading if I felt I was straining. So he then led me out to the girl working in the front.
Having never been to an eye doctor before I wasn’t sure what the next step was. Instead of really telling me my options, they made it seem like I had to buy my eye glasses there. Which isn’t necessarily a problem, but I would’ve liked to know I had the option to go elsewhere with my prescription.
Anyway the girl was completely useless and unhelpful. She told me all the glasses in the store were unisex and all of them cost $ 299. She only told me this after I asked which were men’s and women’s and the costs of the glasses. She didn’t bother to help me try on a pair or help me find a frame that would suit my face. She just sat at her little table using a laptop. I eventually found a pair of glasses, that I thought looked decent on me, and after asking a fellow customer if she thought they looked OK. I brought them to the girl who worked there, she rang me up and told me she’d call me when they come in.
I haven’t gotten a call back yet, but I’m afraid to. I’m scared that the glasses are going to look bad and I’ll regret my purchase. I’ve heard from friends who have had great experiences with people helping them find the right frames for them. I hope that I was able to find a good pair of glasses on my own that day. We’ll see…
The only reason they get 2 stars instead of one was because I felt they did have a decent selection of glasses to choose from, and the friendliness of the actual eye doctor.
It should also be noted that in 2009, their business card still has a drawing of the World Trade Center towers on it.