Uptown Vision

I wish I had read the reviews before I went here. I love to support local businesses in my neighborhood so wanted to use Uptown Vision to replace my lenses in two pairs of glasses. I asked them to keep the original lenses and return them to me. That was in June/​July 2015. It’s now January 2016 and I’m still haggling with them to get lenses back that they said the lab lost. Given that I paid a premium here (it’s way more expensive than a lot of other places) the service is pretty underwhelming. Just spoke with the owner who had a ton of attitude with me and chided me for not introducing myself when I called. I didn’t call to be schooled on my phone etiquette. I called to resolve an issue that has been ongoing for over 6 months. My tip for you — don’t waste your time or money with this neighborhood establishment. I had a much better experience with My Eye Doctor.

I had never gone to the eye doctor before but Dr. Schneid made me feel very comfortable while examining me. He and his staff are very professional and competent. His office is in a great location too; it’s right on Connecticut Avenue next to the Uptown theater. His office is kind of «old school,» which I liked. Another thing that I liked was when I called the office to see if my glasses had been delivered yet, it was Dr. Schneid who answered the phone! He was very helpful and got back to me quickly about when my glasses were expected to arrive. Definitely recommend him!

I have an ophthalmologist in Pennsylvania, whom I regularly see. I had a prescription from him for glasses and decided to get the script filled at Uptown Vision since it was more convenient. My first visit was with the office staff, and they ordered my $ 450 glasses with all of the extras (poly lenses, anti-​reflective coat). I thought this was a bit costly, but it seemed worthwhile, as I wanted a quality pair of glasses. Once the glasses came in, I found I became immediately nauseated wearing them, and I noticed that all of my peripheral vision seemed bent like a carnival mirror. I have worn glasses for the last 20 years and have never experienced this before. I called the office and explained this to the staff and asked for an appointment to have them adjusted or looked at by the optometrist. I got an appointment a few weeks later, and Dr. Schneid insisted on performing an entire eye exam and rechecking the prescription despite me explaining the problem and telling him that my central vision was quite clear and crisp and that I wasn’t concerned of it being a wrong prescription. Nonetheless, he performed a full eye exam and confirmed that the prescription was in fact correct. I then asked him if he knew what could be wrong with the lenses or why I had these problems. His reply was, «Oh yea, I knew right away what the issues was.» It had nothing to do with the prescription but rather the type of lens they ordered. Of course, I then was billed for a full eye exam (and my insurance was billed for additional charges), and they even tried to bill me for «contact lens fitting» when I said repeatedly that I didn’t need contact lenses. I also asked to have the glasses adjusted to my face, as they were slightly crooked and would slip down my nose. The assistant took the glasses and bent the backs until they hooked around my ears, which was very uncomfortable and fit worse. I just asked her to bend them back to how they were originally because it was clear she didn’t know how to properly adjust glasses. Dr. Schneid was gracious enough to send the lenses to be replaced free of charge, and a few weeks later, I received the new glasses. The new lenses are now as thick as a coke bottle (I was not warned that I would be getting lower quality lenses and was certainly not reimbursed for the cost difference), and I’m still experiencing the bending of my peripheral vision, which has made me dizzy and almost fall over on several occasions. And, of course, the glasses are still loose fitting and not adjusted properly to my face. I’m never going back to this office, and I get angry every time I think about the $ 500 I spent on this place. Awful.

Uptown vision is a small office next to the Uptown Theater on Connecticut Ave. in Cleveland Park. When scheduling my eye exam, I found the staff to be very friendly and accommodating. Upon arrival, the staff was just as friendly, and moved me quickly through the paperwork required.
Dr. Schneid was on time, and saw me right away. The exam was quick, but thorough, which I greatly appreciated. I thought he was very friendly, knowledgeable, and I thought the visit went well.
I did not purchase any frames, but the staff was great about running my insurance to see what it covered.

Always helpful, Dr. Schneid and his staff respond quickly to emergencies. Couldn’t ask for more. And as for waiting, I don’t know a single doctor’s office where that ISN’T the case!

I made an appointment, and ended up waiting 50 minutes to be seen. As someone who works full time, I really didn’t want to spend nearly an hour of my free time in a waiting room when I made an appointment.
Dr. Schneid apologized for the wait after 20 minutes and said he’d get to me in 10 minutes, which was nice except it took 30 minutes. I was ready to walk out when I was called in. He apologized again for the wait, which is appreciated, but from reviews it does not seem unusual. It seems to be a high-​volume practice from my observation.
This also disrupts my patient experience because I don’t want the appointment to last long since I feel sorry for everyone left in the waiting room, yet I also don’t want the appointment to be hurried since I want to be fully evaluated with no pressure if something comes up.
Dr. Schneid’s demeanor was professional and friendly, but again, I don’t want to spend nearly an hour of my weekend day in a waiting room.
The eye glasses I looked at Uptown Vision were also very expensive, I wish they had a better range of lower-​priced eyewear.

Too expensive. Kept my wife waiting. My wife paid for a coating she didn’t get. The office’s attitude was, basically, tuff; they weren’t going to do anything about it. It was out of their control what the lens makers did. The office got the bifocal part wrong also.
We should’ve stuck with Apex. They never got anything wrong for my parents, my in-​law, and my wife. If we weren’t happy, they always had the lens makers redo it for free.

I write this review as I wait here, 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment. And I’m hungry.
I’m sure the doctor is very nice but not nice enough to merit sitting on a backless windowsill for nearly an hour to be seen.
On the plus side, my glasses were bent and I was able to get them adjusted during my wait. Could have been worse!

I’ve been wearing contacts for over 10 years and within that time frame, I have never come across an optometrist as dense as Mr. Schneid.
1^st visit: My first visit at this Uptown Vision office was towards the end of May for a general contact lens evaluation (general protocol is 1 appointment) and some inflammation within my eyes. Upon leaving I was under a satisfactory presumption that Mr. Schneid properly took down my optics for my eye and wrote down an appropriate prescription medicine for my eyes. I pay my $ 60 copay.
2^nd visit: One week later (initial week of June) I came into Uptown Vision to pick up and test out my initial trial lens which were ordered. In a haste, Dr. Schneid hands me the 7 day trial daily lens’ and requests I come back in 1 week. (I have never EVER seen an optometrist simply a patient a box of contacts without evaluating them on their eyes prior to leaving). I insist I do not want to leave without trying the lens’ on. After trying the trial lens’ on I noticed that my visual acuity is blurry and I cannot see objects or text from afar. I point this out to Mr. Schneid and he blames this on the fact that my eyes were still inflamed (which they were not at this point anymore). Dr. Schneid insists I take the trials and come back within another week AND continue my steroid eye drops (Lotemax). In the meantime, Dr. Schneid was ordering another set of lens’.
3^rd visit: I heeded Mr. Schneids advice and continued to take the eye drops, 2x a day until my third appointment. On this visit, the next set of lens’ were also blurry. I bring this to the attention of Dr. Schneid again, who attempts to belittle me with his demeaning tone and posture. Mr. Schneid re-​evalutes my eyes and and determines that the prescription has changed once again. I decide to halt the numerous alterations in my prescription and request that Mr. Schneid simply order my older set of contacts (which i’ve happily been using for the past 3 years). Mr. Schneid informs me that he will be on vacation for the next few weeks but will have the lens’ ordered. While attempting to leave Mr. Schneids secretary attempts to bill me for $ 70 (2 co-​payments). I insist this is robbery and that the Dr. is attempting to loot me for my money since none of the contacts thus far fit. (Wouldn’t you agree? — Why should one pay copayment if the job of the doctor has not properly been performed). I decide to mediate the situation and meet in the middle and pay an additional $ 35. Total = $ 95. The doctor keeps insisting I use my drops.
4^th visit. (Doctor is on vacation). When I go to pick up my contacts, I noticed the prescription was correct but the size was not. When attempting to remove my contacts, they were stuck on like opposite magnets. The secretary sees my struggle and notates that the lens’ must be re-​fit once more and that Dr. Schneid would re-​evaluate my eyes upon his return. (After secretary speaks with Dr. Schneid who is on vacation, she informs me that he would be available in the first week of July — At this point my tone is upset since it’s been 4 weeks and no sign of proper lens’ ahead. I apologize to the secretary for my defensive attitude but explain this is not professional at all on behalf of Mr. Schneid.) — In addition, secretary informs me to continue Lotemax Eye Drops.
5^th visit: Me and my wife are attempt to discuss the incorrect fit of the lens with Dr. Schneid. (I was under the presumption Dr. Schneid would re-​evaluate my eyes but sadly I was not even admitted to the back) Immediately upon our arrival, Dr. Schneid once again challenges my knowledge of lens’ and attempts to belittle me again in FRONT OF OTHER PAITENTS! After 10 minutes of bickering back and forth, my wife (who is livid at this point) intervenes on my behalf. My wife asks Dr. Schneid why he is so defensive and not willing to cooperate and assist me in finding the proper lens? Dr. Schneid immediately responds to my wife in an aggressive tone and I intervene in the middle and tell Dr. Schneid not to raise his voice since I was ‘calm, collective and professional’ the entire time. At this point Dr. Schneid STILL continues to challenge my opinion of the lens’…At this point (I must admit I snapped a bit), I tell him not to continue raising his voice at me or my wife since he would get on my bad side (any man would defend their wife from an argumentative man). At the same time I point out to Dr. Schneid That I have been taking the Lotemax eye drops for up to 6 weeks (Online it says to use precaution after 10 days). At this point, Dr. Schneid tells me that my relationship is over and to seek advice elsewhere.
The only beneficial thing was when Dr. Schneid told me to seek medical advice elsewhere. After stopping the drops abruptly after 6+ weeks, my eyes are consistently now in pain. I’m afraid i’ll have to start a medical malpractice lawsuit if my eyes don’t improve.

So I’ve gone here for a few years, mainly because it’s in my neighborhood. It’s nothing special. The customer service isn’t great, I usually wait 30 or 40 minutes to be taken for my appointment, which is annoying since I have an appointment.
My last time, I purchased contacts. After a couple/​few weeks, I hadn’t heard anything from my FSA so I called my insurance. I found out Uptown Vision never charged my insurance and therefore OVERCHARGED me for my contacts. When my insurance called the office, the doctor apparently answered and said he wasn’t in the office and couldn’t look up patient records. Okay hold up… that is the number on your website for your office and your website says your office is open.
So I run over there and the front desk person is totally unapologetic, just saying that «someone» must have forgotten to apply my insurance. While she refunded the 150 $ she overcharged me and finally charged my insurance, she was completely nonchalant about it. This is completely ridiculous since a) I’m not a new patient, b) you know good and well I have insurance and you ask me about insurance changes every time, and c) this was a good 150 $ over what you should have charged me. Completely incompetent. At least, apologize!

I had a great experience here. The Dr. was helpful and the assistants were very nice. Compared to the Eyewear Gallery in Reston, Uptown Vision was way more reasonable! I paid about $ 300 total for eye exam, glasses, and contacts eye exam. I paid over $ 1000 for the same thing at Eyewear Gallery. Dr. Schneid was respectful and helpful. I will go back.

Dr. Schneid is great. He is friendly, accommodating, not pushy, and remembers us from year to year. He squeezed in my daughter for an appointment when she lost her glasses. The office is convenient. I think they are expensive, but I pay a discounted price because I have insuranc.

Dr. Schneid is amazing. I’ve been going to him for years now and he’s never let me down. It is very easy to get an appointment here, and if you have an eye infection or some other urgent need, he is very accommodating. The staff is very helpful with glasses selection and they have a wide variety. The eye exams are very thorough and he is just a very friendly man. He is also very knowledgable about various insurance plans and will work to accomodate you. I have no complaints and would highly recommend Uptown Vision and the Takoma Park location.

DO NOT GO HERE! I do not normally write negative reviews, but I went to Dr. Schneid at Uptown based upon a Unilocal review. Plain and simple, this doctor is inept. I went to Dr. Schneid for an annual exam and to get new contacts. So I went to my appt and I got my new prescription… new contacts that he recommended… everything seemed fine. A few days later I could not wear the contacts because of a burning sensation in my eyes. I went to back to Uptown. The doctor blamed it on allergies. I explained that I do not have allergies. I was told that, in dc, you develop allergies. Even though I protested that I have lived in dc for a few years and never had an issue, I was sent on my merry way with a stack of prescriptions for pills and drops for my «allergies». A few days later my eyes were in such pain, I could not open them and I had to take time off of work. Again I contacted uptown and got more meds. After more issues, I did a 3 second Internet search and discovered that all of my issues were because of the new contacts the doctor prescribed… a well documented side effect to some contact wearers. 3 seconds on the Internet would have saved me all that pain! This is something as a doctor… he should know the side effects of the contacts he prescribes! The biggest kicker, when I called to explain what I found and asked to exchange my new contacts for my old brand, the staff said no I would have to purchase a whole new set of contacts. DO NOT GO HERE!

This place is okay. The doctor was nice and the two girls who work in the front are really sweet and helpful. The only problem I have is that they are very $$$. I bought eyeglasses for almost $ 300 then found exact same pair on line for only $ 100. That and the doctor seemed to rush my eye exam.

Got my contact lens presciption wrong once and my glasses prescription wrong twice. I’ve since gone elsewhere.

I moved into the city about a year ago and hiked over to the Georgetown DMV to get a new license. In the middle of reading off the characters for the eye exam, the DMV employee starts saying «No… no… no…» I look up and he says to me, «Ma’am, you’re not getting any of them correct.» He sent me away with a form to get signed by a doctor.
I didn’t purchase anything from Uptown Vision, but I did see Dr. Schneid. He’s a very understanding, clever, and professional doctor. As he did his check-​up, he explained everything, which is a big plus for me. He also explained in detail what was wrong with my vision so I left feeling educated about my condition. Also, i had forgotten the form that I needed to bring back to the DMV and Schneid had extras in his office.
His office is tiny, but it’s a small price to pay for a good doctor. His receptionist — I can’t remember her name but she’s young and smiles a lot — is incredibly friendly and helpful, and always remembers me when I go in.
My boyfriend ended up seeing Dr. Schneid and purchased a new set of frames and lenses from Uptown with no problems.
Also, they’re knowledgeable about insurance and will make sure that you’re getting the best out of your coverage.

After a horrible experience at Bauman & Stoleru up the street, I came to Dr. Schneid. I definitely give him 5 stars– he is always very nice, explains everything that he is doing, and even gave me a much needed pep talk when I was going through finals. Dr. Schneid also went out of his way to try to save me some money on my insurance billing.
The only reason why I give 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the office. They’re nice too but they sometimes forget to call me when my contacts are ready. I also had to wait once for a long time because they messed up on the time of my appointment.

A friend suggested Uptown Vision to me when I was a new transplant to DC, and I’ve been back for my annual checkup and new glasses every year since.
The optometrist, Dr. Schneid, is friendly, gentle and calming during the eye tests, and has a great rapport with patients. Even though I only visit once a year, he remembers me and asks me about how things are going.
I’ve gotten new lenses and frames from Uptown several times, and while the prices have been a bit on the high side, they’ve always been fair, and they work really hard to make sure you get everything quickly.
Oh, and it’s really convenient that you can pop right out of the metro and basically be there. And, it’s easy to find, because it’s right next to the Uptown Movie Theatre.