Need cheap NYC sunglasses

June 8, 2010 7:39 AM

Seeking brick-and-mortar NYC store for cheap prescription sunglasses.

I wear prescription glasses. My old prescription sunglasses I got about five years ago are painfully unstylish. But I now have even less money than before to spend on a new pair.

I want to go to an actual store because it's important for me to try on an actual pair on my actual face. I know about all the cheap online stores (Zenni, etc), but that's not what I'm looking for. I also don't want to buy cheap frames and mail them off to fill the lenses because I want to see the tint color in person.

I would like to try and keep the cost way low, as in under $200, ideally even under $100. I know that's a tough goal to meet, but that's why I'm asking you all.

For that price, I obviously don't care much about quality, so style is my only requirement. My style tends to lean somewhat classic-hip, at least when it comes to glasses. My current non-sunglasses frames are from Moscot, to give you an idea of my tastes. (I would make a purchase there, but I don't want to pay as much for sunglasses as I did for my glasses-glasses).

I'm in NYC.

posted by greta simone to Shopping (6 answers total)

Lens Crafters currently has 40% prescription sunglasses! Also I recently checked out WalMart on a similar quest and picked out some nice Oscar de la Renta frames for like 40 bucks, making my -4 rx with the nice lenses about $120. I think they were on clearance, but maybe it's worth calling to check out prices and then venturing out to where ever one exists in NYC. _{I was still to cheap to buy them but that's because of my tendency to lose/crush only the most expensive sunglasses I've ever owned.}
posted by Juicy Avenger at 7:54 AM on June 8, 2010

Optical 88 on Mott and Hester. They're the best. Should be within your price range. 20 dollar eye exam, too.
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:09 AM on June 8, 2010

My go-to for cheap, quality service is Optical 88, in Chinatown.
posted by hermitosis at 8:13 AM on June 8, 2010

Another vote for Optical 88.
posted by micawber at 9:16 AM on June 8, 2010

I swear by Fabulous Fanny's; been wearing their frames for three years. Paid $50 or something. (You still need to get the lenses cut elsewhere; they recommend some optometrist -- may well even be Optical 88. I don't remember. I got mine at Lenscrafters with a discount from my job.)
posted by zvs at 2:47 PM on June 8, 2010

Response by poster: Alright--I'll try Optical 88 this weekend and report back.
posted by greta simone at 10:17 AM on June 9, 2010