Fagedes and Garrity Optometrists

This is a great optometry office. I’ve been going to Dr. Garrity for years, and even though it means a drive downtown from way up in Mt. Healthy, I’m willing to do it for the great quality of eye care that I get. Prices for office visits are very reasonable, and Dr. Garrity takes as much time as needed and never seems rushed. There is also a top notch optician in the same office.

I want to start the review by making sure you know that I am practically blind, so I attach a lot of importance to my contacts and glasses as well as the manner in which I acquire them. That being said, I highly recommend Drs Fagedes and Garrity.
Like Alex S, I first went to their offices based on their proximity to where I live and that they accept my insurance. However, I’ve never had a problem making an appointment and the size of their office doesn’t really get to me (although I do see the perspective).
I saw Dr. Fagedes for my exam. She did everything right. Very polite, professional, courteous, quick yet thorough. She even put on a sympathetic grimace when she realized how bad my eyesight is. Good stuff.
On to the woman who is in charge of the glasses, who is great! I THINK her name is Theresa. Or something similar to that, definitely a «T» involved somehow. She spent a lot of time making sure I found a pair of frames that were aesthetically pleasing and practical for the type of lenses I need (THICK ONES). She also looked over my insurance policy very carefully to make sure I was taking full advantage of all of my benefits. Side note: While she was crunching the numbers, I realized that a quick stop to the restroom wouldn’t hurt so I asked her if she could kindly point me in the right direction. Turns out it’s down the hallway and you need a key to get in. They have the key attached to a really clunky old pair of glasses, which I found to be very quirky. It reminded me of Sitwell’s. I love stuff like that.
When I came back about a week later to pick up my glasses, I made it there about five minutes before they were supposed to close (yes, I was THAT person) but the door was already locked. I was in desperate need for the glasses, so I knocked on the door (again, THAT person). They let me come in and spent extra time fitting the frames to my face.
Final thumbs up… a few weeks after I got my glasses, I received a Groupon to Pearle Vision. I wanted to use it to get a pair of back-​up glasses, but I needed my prescription. Not only did she write out the prescription for me, but also she wrote a list of what I did and did not need for lenses so that I wouldn’t get «ripped off» by a salesperson trying to find ways to up-​charge. I really appreciated that gesture.
Overall: great staff, convenient location, a dash of charm, and they go the extra mile.

I’ve had the same pair of glasses for years — long before I moved to Cincinnati. So when they broke, and it had been years since I went to get my eyes checked out, I knew I needed to find a doctor.
Enter Doctors Fagedes and Garrity, two downtown doctors who run a practice in the PNC building. They were the closest ones to me who took my insurance (within walking distance) and they had their own eyeglasses store. Sounds like a win to me.
Now, making an appointment here has NEVER been easy. Not once have I been able to pick up the phone, speak to someone and put down a date in my calendar. I’ve always had to leave a message and my second time coming in, I actually had to call them three different times to make an appointment. The worst part is, I only call during regular businesses hours. Ugh.
Both times I was there, though, they were training a new girl behind the desk, so hopefully this gets better.
The doctors office is tiny — almost claustrophobically so. I’m not sure if it’s the way the room is set up but when I walk in, I always feel a little confined. Still, it’s bigger than it looks — to the left is a large room full of glasses for you to try on and to the right, behind the desk, are where they do the examinations.
I met with Doctor Fagades and she was wonderful. Sweet and asked a lot of questions and just what I wanted out of a doctor. She also didn’t waste my time — I was in and out of there within the hour! I’ve been to way to many doctors that keep me there all day. Not them. Love it.
The woman who helped me pick out my new glasses was fantastic as well. She and I looked at 5 different pairs I like (after choosing them from a selection of about 100) and narrowed it down to what looked best. She actually sat with me 1-​on-​1 to make this happen. That was great.
I’m teetering between three and four stars here, but I’m pushing to four. Yes, it was a pain in the ass to make an appointment and yes, the place sometimes makes me feel like I can’t breathe, but the staff is so professional and friendly that it almost doesn’t matter … almost.