Newton Optica

Newton, United States

4.5

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 617-243-3937
Website:
www.newtonoptica.com
Address:
1191 Chestnut St, Newton, MA, 02464
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
440 ftChestnut St @ Oak St
460 ftOak St @ Chestnut St
800 ftChestnut St @ Pennsylvania Ave
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Newton) 1:21 AM Thursday, June 26, 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

NewtonOp​tica​.com is a quality optical store featuring Digital lenses and eyewear. We sell a variety of designer brands including THEO, Etnia-​Barcelona, Alain Mikl, Lafont, MYKITA, Swissflex, Silhouette, Nike, Safilo, Flexon, Oliver Peoples, Paul Smith, Prada, Rayban, and Maui Jim. We carry fun, quality kids frames and easily affordable options

, sports glasses and swim goggles. We participate in Vision plans.

Our practice features a state-​of-​the-​art doctor’s offices. Dr Stephen Kolnik, the optometrist and owner, performs comprehensive eye examinations and contact lens fittings. This includes screening for ocular disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, single and multi-​focal contact lenses, Rigid Gas Permeable lenses, Othokeratology for myopia control, and dry eye treatment, and LASIK consultation.

Choosing the right frame can be a difficult process. At Newton Optica, we make shopping for glasses easy and exciting. It all starts with having the right inventory and the right person helping you. Here, we hand pick every frame in the store. We have an in-​house lab to improve service and ensure quality.

History

Established in 1994.

Dr Kolnik’s office originated on Needham Street and moved around the corner in Jan 2013.

We strive to make our patients comfortable and exceed their expectations with the quality of their eyecare and glasses or contact lenses. We have expanded hours to 6 doctor days of coverage PLUS 24 hour on call care for eye emergencies. We provide specialty contact lens services for Keratoconus and Orthokeratology.

We have an in-​house lab to make glasses on site, ensuring top quality work and speedy service when necessary.

Meet the Business Owner

Dr Stephen K.

Business Owner

I love my work and it shows. I enjoy taking care of my many patients of all ages, three generations in some families. Performing eye exams, finding the right glasses or contact lenses is what we have done for over 30 years.

I work with wonderful, dedicated staff who love their work, greeting you with a genuine smile each and every day.

We added Dr Holly Schneider to the team and recently enlarged the optical to further improve service and broaden our frame selection.

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20 reviews of Newton Optica

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Place rating: 5
Montclair, NJ
I would highly recommend Dr. Kolnick. What a generous, caring Doctor. We were visiting family for Christmas, and due to a FedEx mixup, my son’s order of contact lenses has not been delivered before he left home in Brooklyn. I emailed Dr. Kolnick on CHRISTMAS DAY asking if he would accept my son’s prescription and sell us enough lenses to get him through the holiday. He emailed back within minutes to tell us Absolutely! The very next morning his assistant called us to notify the contacts were waiting for us at the front desk. On our arrival we tried to pay for them, but the staff insisted there was no charge!
Who gives this kind of service anymore? We don’t live in the area, so are unable to have our regular optical needs serviced here, but I am recommending Dr. Kolnick extremely highly to all I know here. Thank you so very much!!!
Place rating: 5
Needham Heights, MA
I just saved $ 400 by buying my glasses here! I have EyeMed insurance, and they helped me get the best deal. I walked out of the previous eyeglasses store, even though I loved the glasses. Came here instead and to my amazement, they had the exact designer glasses for a much better price. Great service, professional, and very informative about the different types of progressive lenses.
Plenty of free parking, easy to reach, and nice atmosphere in the store. Next year I’ll try getting my eye exam here too.
Place rating: 5
Newtonville, MA
A great optometrist and lovely staff. I have been going there for a majority of my optometry needs. Getting my eyes checked is always fast and very easy. The staff is always very helpful with choosing the best glasses and making sure they fit correctly.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
I want to thank Dr. Kolnik and his staff for their kindness.
I am visiting family for the weekend and forgot to bring my contacts and glasses.
I had almost given up after trying many opticians in the Newton area, who refused to help me get a few contacts, even though I have a prescription from my Dr. I called Newton Optica as a last ditch effort, and Bia at the front desk was not only friendly, but also understanding, accommodating and efficient.
After I emailed my prescription, she spoke to Dr. Kolnik and called me right back to let me know that they would be able to get me some contacts to get me through the weekend.
When I went to pick them up, they didn’t even charge me for the three pairs.
Though I did not get a chance to meet the Dr., any doctor this kind and understanding is a doctor that cares and is not just out there to get your money. And in my book, that is always a good doctor.
Thank you again!
Place rating: 1
Providence, RI
This is one of the worst places that I have gone. Not for the doctor, he was fine. Not for the technician that put my glasses together, but be absolutely careful of the prices that they charge you. The quoting department and front desk is terrible. 1st I went to them specifically due to my insurance company, that I made sure that I would get the maximum benefit. They they ignored my current insurance information even though right infront of me they knew what my deductible was for the eye exam.
They then will show you glasses, they work up your price and gave me a bill for 750.00 with a discount of 200.00 leaving 550 for everything. I then gasped and said how much did my insurance actually cover. Their response, «You have insurance?»
Wow! They then processed the order again telling me my new bill was vertically the same, ok, because I added 75 $ for transitional lens.
Now for the best news ever. Today I get a notice from the insurance company indicating that Optica submitted a claim for 857.00 in full! And in the next box it said what I was supposed to pay! Wait for it… $ 349.20!!! Good doctor, Good product. Avoid and question every price they give you, and then after that call your insurance and verify they are not double dipping!!!
Place rating: 1
Needham Heights, MA
I had a very bad experience. .I was very clear while booking my appointment that I specifically wanted prescription for glasses. I repeated my request before my appointment too. Given my ignorance about how these tests are conducted, and lack of communication from the doctor I was tested for both glasses and lenses. Now I am stuck with no insurance money left towards my glasses. I agree that I should have pointed it out too but I feel it was unfair towards me and an unnecessary confusion created for me to have to make a decision to pay either $ 130 for lens examination to get new glasses or have lens exam covered under my insurance with no glasses.
Will not go to the clinic again. Need to find a new place which will make my doctors visit less painful for me
Place rating: 4
Newton, MA
I discovered Newton Optica after doing an extensive search of eye doctors in the area. I finally decided on Dr. Kolnik after reading such wonderful Unilocal reviews about his practice! I booked my appointment over ZocDoc which was extremely convenient. Appointments are available on 15 minute intervals. I received a phone call the day before my appointment asking for my insurance information. When I arrived to the office the next day everything was taken care of. I was promptly seen by Dr. Kolnik and received an eye exam. After the exam he introduced me to one of the women in the front office where she helped me pick out new frames. She was extremely helpful, she definitely knew the styles very well and helped me pick out a frame that would work with my face shape. Overall, quick and easy service and a friendly staff! I will definitely be heading back the next time I’m due for an annual eye exam.
Place rating: 5
Norwood, MA
Great selection, cool styles and very helpful staff
Place rating: 5
CHESTNUT HILL, MA
I give Dr. Kolnik 4.5 stars, I give the store front 1 star. This was my first eye exam, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Dr. Kolnik was friendly, prompt, efficient, and really helped. I couldn’t believe how much better my vision could be with the right lenses.
Place rating: 5
Brookline, MA
After going to some less-​than-​steller eye places, I found Dr. Kolnik via a coworker recommendation. He is SO nice, and you can tell he is really versed in what he does, which made me feel confident that I was in good hands. My appointment was quick (but not rushed) and painless. Also, the office price-​matches contacts to online prices which I think is really fair!
Place rating: 5
Brookline, MA
Newton optica has the widest range of glasses that I have seen in newton! The people working there are very knowledgable and make the entire experience fun. I highly recommend them!
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
Dr. Kolnik and his staff are wonderful. Dr. Kolnik is efficient and funny and keeps me entertained enough to get through an eye exam.
Place rating: 5
Lexington, MA
I’d been seeing Dr. Kolnik for over 10 years when I moved 20 miles away from his Newton Highland office and tried two nearby Optometrists over the past 2 years. I returned to Dr. Kolnik today and I’m VERY glad I did. I need bifocal contacts and it is very difficult to get the prescription right to permit both good distance and good reading vision without reading glasses. The other two doctors failed. Today Dr. Kolnik succeeded. I’m writing this without glasses for the first time in years. Fantastic! Icing on the cake is Dr. Kolnik’s sense of humor and warm personality, competent and efficient staff, and reasonable prices. You can’t go wrong.
Place rating: 5
Newton, MA
So, I hadn’t been to an eye doctor in years. Four, to be exact. I could tell my prescription needed to be updated.
Dr. Kolnik was very friendly and kind. He didn’t give me grief about how long it’d been since my last check-​up. Also, he was quick! The eye exam went by so fast. He didn’t even dilate my eyes! He was able to use this device to take pictures of the backs of them instead. I took the 59 bus to get there anyway, because I anticipated I’d have to go through that, but so glad I didn’t. I HATE having my eyes dilated.
After the exam, I had to pick out some new frames. The girl out front — I totally forget her name — was awesome. She had a real eye for what styles would look good on my face. Oddly enough, her first suggestion was the one I went with after trying a ton of frames. She really seemed to love her job and was a real «people person.» She seemed so excited to help me find the perfect pair of frames.
I’m recommending this office to all of my local friends and my boyfriend who is in the market for some new glasses and a new OD!
Place rating: 4
Little Compton, RI
Who knew getting a new prescription for sunglasses could be such fun? Modern, shiny and fully stocked, this optical shop is a Gucci girl’s dream. I ended up here after being totally frustrated w/​the nearby mall chain optical shop and their crappy frames and rookie eye exams. Say hello to Dr. Stephen Kolnik — thorough, professional, and dare I say charming (love his soft South African accent). So glad he took my insurance without a problem. Anyone care to guess what I spent on my fabulous new designer frames, anti-​glare and scratch resistant lenses? I’ll never tell.
Place rating: 5
Watertown, MA
I tried calling for an appointment on a Friday seeing if I could get one for that Saturday or next week because I was on my last pair of contacts. Dr. Vilkomer was the one who actually answered my phone. Due to my extremely busy work schedule, the earliest appointment she had available to my schedule was after Thanksgiving. I told her that wouldn’t work because I would be out of contacts. She told me she was lucky I was really lucky she was speaking to her because she made an appointment for me the following day at Sat. 10:30 am. They don’t normally do exams on Saturday mornings?
I also had an issue with my insurance: apparently I am only covered for eye exams once every two years? Either way, I was gonna get the exam whether I had to pay for it or not. Dr. Vilkomer said to me she will do whatever she can to make sure the insurance will reimburse it and not to worry about it. How great is that?
On the day of the exam, Dr. Vilkomer was very friendly and nice. She seemed very knowledgable and was very thorough. She asked me what type of contacts I would like and offered me all the above (dailies, monthlies, and biweekly). She didn’t have the dailies and monthlies in stock so she had to order them, no big deal. Normally, going to an contact fitting or eye exam, they only give you one pair of contacts to try. She gave me not only one pair of biweeklies to take home that day, but two, because she knew I was out and didn’t want me to be out without an emergency pair. How awesome is that?
I will definitely see Dr. Vilkomer again at Newton Optica.
Place rating: 5
Dracut, MA
Really great experience.
I saw Dr. Vilkomir today for a second opinion regarding a questionable prescription that I received from a different local eye doctor. She took me through the full eye exam and was extremely thorough during the refraction process. I’m very confident that my new prescription is accurate now.
Dr. Vilkomir did an excellent job and was very concerned with making sure that my prescription was correct and that I was happy. She is very personable and professional. The rest of the staff is great as well. Everyone was very friendly. The facility is quite nice.
My wife and I will be switching to Newton Optica for our annual eye exams.
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
I have been going to Dr Vilkomir for 2 years. Over the years, I had gone to numerous eye doctors, until I found her! She is very friendly and makes you feel at ease.
As a contact wearer, I am always afraid of having any eye problems, so I call her with all my crazy questions and she is eager to offer her advice without laughing at me!
She is very thorough, knowledgeable and answers all your questions. She sincerely cares about all her patients.
The store is very chic, and has some of the best brands around!
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
For anyone looking for a professional, yet personable, environment for quality eye care, Newton Optica is an excellent choice. I was very impressed by the the store itself –the design is ultra chic, and the selection is great– all modern styles, nice variety. Dr. Vilkomir is super friendly and makes you feel completely at ease. I would definitely recommend the office to anyone, and will heading back there myself for another pair of sunglasses!
Place rating: 5
Sherborn, MA
This is honestly my first time writing a review, but I felt like I had to after the service I received there.
I just moved here from out of state and didn’t know where to go. I knew my prescription didn’t change, but I needed to get my eyes tested in order to get new contacts. Since I was there I told her I wasn’t 100% happy with they contacts I’ve been using. So, she gave me about 1.5 months worth of FREE trials (one a day lenses). PLUS, I went back for a fitting and she never charged me! The Dr. is so nice and very understanding. I was a little skeptical because I have always gone to the same optometrist, but she was WONDERFUL! I am going to keep going here.