nessahead.com

I had a magical experience getting my prescription eyeglasses at Hye Optic. I had driven past the place countless times in the past twenty years but had never gone inside. Instead, I had always bought my glasses at Linden Optometry in Pasadena with much expense, frustration and waiting.

It’s a hole-in-the-wall type of shop on the second floor of a little shopping center—South side of Hollywood Boulevard, just West of Normandie.

When I walked in, the woman behind the counter said hello and let me try on a number of frames. I often have trouble finding glasses wide enough for my giant, round head. I was getting a little frustrated after the 10th pair when a man walked out from the workroom in the back. I asked him for help and he picked out a pair of plastic frames, brown plastic layered over blue. They gleamed enticingly in the flourescent light. I put them on, looked into the mirror and saw that he had picked The Perfect Frames. Excellent!

I handed him my prescription and asked how much they would be.

“Fifty,” he said.

I said, “And how much for the lenses?”

“No, no, fifty for all.”

“Wow, great! When can I pick them up?”

“Ten minutes, they will be ready.”

Sure enough, ten minutes later I had my new glasses on and was happily handing over my Visa card. It was the best glasses-buying experience I’ve ever had. Magical, even.

Hye Optic

5112 Hollywood Blvd Ste 210
Los Angeles, CA 90027 Google Maps
323-669-0511

They have a great selection of prescription and sunglass frames, cheapy generic and ultra-expensive designer brands like Chanel and Gucci. I’m definitely going back to get a second pair of glasses to keep in my desk at work. I’m also going to ask if they can replace the lenses in a pair of sunglass frames I picked up for cheap at Ross a while back.