When you first move to Buenos Aires it’s hard to find easy, simple things that can be found in any Wal-Mart in the United States. One thing I need to function normally are contact lenses. Without them, I literally can’t see anything, will probably step out in front of a car, and will probably never see the light of day again. Strolling down the street in Las Cañitas about 2-3 years ago, looking randomly for anything that appeared to sell glasses or contact lenses, I saw a sign on a street corner for a small, “mom and pop” optical shop.
The place is small, but has a good selection of glasses. I asked the friendly owner (Carlos) about contact lenses, and he was quite helpful and quite talkative as well. The good thing about going to small shops like Carlos’ is that he doesn’t work on commission (obviously — he’s the owner and only employee), so he’s not incentivized to sell you only one brand of contacts (which he WOULD get the highest commission off of), or 2-3 styles of glasses (which would pay him the highest commission as well). He actually talked me out of buying the more expensive, 2 week disposable contact lenses that I use in the US in favor of the 2 month disposable ones because they were that much cheaper and were at the same level of comfort.
The Optica has great quality lenses and prices, but the real gem of the place is Carlos, who knows his stuff and has good taste in sunglasses and regular eyeglasses, should you need a pair while in BA. His service is quick, he’ll usually repair your glasses for free (or will only charge you for what HE pays for the spare part), and he’s a very friendly guy who loves to chat. I’ll end this review by saying Carlos has become a good friend, so yes, I am biased.
Class Optica is on the corner of Volta (tiny side street close to the El Solar shopping center) and Luis Maria Campos
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- The Malbec of the Streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina
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