Uptown Vision Clinic

I really like Kristin Swenson. I get great treatment here and feel that the priority is my health, not selling me their glasses. They were very accommodating when I had to cancel an appointment at the last minute to travel for a memorial service, and were able to reschedule me very quickly. Highly recommend this practice.

I’ve been going to Dr. Swenson at Uptown Vision Clinic since I moved to Minneapolis a number of years ago, not having much to go off of I simply picked the place closest to where I live so I could minimize the chances of getting pulled over after getting my eyes dilated post eye exam.
Okay, okay I was just being lazy. :) That said, Uptown Vision is fantastic. They’ve been great about answering all my questions and working with me to explore all the options available to me. They work directly with my insurance company, including ordering my contact lenses which are covered under my plan and I always leave my annual exam having learned something new about eye health and my vision. Highly recommended!

So glad I found this place! I chose it based on proximity but even if it wasn’t the closest I would still go back. They have the nicest staff and make a trip to the eye doctor enjoyable! They have great technology for trying on glasses and comparing photos of yourself

Dr. Swenson provided me a very thoughtful eye exam. I have been looking for a new eye doctor for years but could never find one I liked. I am confident I’ve found my eye doctor now for many years to come.

Very thorough exams, prompt service, great office

Pleasant exam, nice staff, beautiful clinic.
We brought our daughter here for an exam today based on the great Unilocal reviews. We had a very nice experience.
POSITIVE:
Dr. Swenson gave our daughter a super thorough exam. All of their equipment is state-​of-​the-​art. The doctor was also very pleasant and patient, taking time to answer all of our questions. The rest of the staff were also nice.
The clinic is very beautiful. The building itself has a cool original mid century design. It also features off-​street parking… a nice feature for uptown. The inside of the clinic was also very beautiful. Everything and everyone has a definite hipster vibe.
NEGATIVE:
It took over two weeks to get an appointment. Also, it cost $ 172 for an exam. My last exam was at Sam’s Club. Sam’s got me an appointment in one day, only cost $ 76, the exam was just as thorough, and the doctor was just as nice. The décor wasn’t as nice at Sam’s Club though.
Next time, we’re going to take her to Sam’s which is 5 minutes away (instead of 45 minutes), and costs 100 dollars less.
We aren’t snobby. Our eye place doesn’t need to be cool.
–Daddy Maxx Retro

There isn’t any other option for eyewear than the Uptown Vision Clinic. I have been going to them for over 20 yrs, recommended a ton of people and all of my referrals have continued to go there. You can not beat their individualized care, exceptional frame choices and Jeans’ uncanny ability to know exactly what frames work for you. I cannot recommend them enough!

Staff is always friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and accessible.

A week after a cursory, NOT thorough exam by an eye doctor at Edina Eye Physicians, my right eye’s vision went kaput a week later (that doctor sent me on my way telling me to buy over-​the-​counter drops).
When my right eye went all blurry/​filmy, instead of going back to Edina Eye, I went to Dr. Swenson (based on these reviews).
She did a thorough exam, walked me through some bad news (she found what the Edina Eye doctor missed), and helped me find a treatment plan (which involved pulling in a cornea specialist).
I can’t say enough about how helpful, thorough, and kind Dr. Swenson was.
And here is the kicker: when I got the bill for the Edina Eye exam (which was a 3 minute, cursory check), it was $ 260 ($ 134 my portion after insurance).
When I got the bill for the Uptown exam (thorough, hour-​long, every test done), it was $ 112 ($ 53 my portion after insurance).
Excellent care at a fair, honest price.

Uptown Vision (Dr. Sabre) is as good as it gets – you will not find a better eye doctor who will work to get your vision to be as perfect as you hope it to be – and he has so much patience. He will spend as much time with you as needed and will not stop working until you are absolutely positive about loving your glasses/​contacts/​prescription, etc. This is coming from someone who has worn glasses/​contacts for 31 years – he is THE BEST. Jean and Veronica are also superb in the eyeglass department. Double thumbs up!!!

Amazing staff, two-​year contact lens prescriptions, fair policies… Its a shame i didn’t stumble upon them years ago. Please check them out. You’ll feel like a person and not a number.

I live in the west metro and have a 30 minute drive to get there, but have been doing it for more than 5 years due to the great service and familiar faces. Independent businesses know you by name and I don’t have to fill out a ream of paper to remind them of my history and who I am. They took the extra time and care to help me make the decision to get lasik, so I don’t get to try on the latest in cool eyeglasses, but I’m probably not too far away from a pair of cheaters. Great people make places great and Uptown Vision is full of great people. Go see them!

I have always used Target Optical, Vision Works, etc and decided to give a local business a try. This is one of the closer optomotrists to my home and they had great Unilocal reviews so I decided to go for it. Very happy I did! First off, on the day of my exam I came in and they had Led Zeppelin and The Black Keys on the radio. Thats 3 stars right there. No stuffy waiting area! Staff is extremely friendly, and made it easy to reschedule a follow up due to my inablilty to keep my Outlook Calendar up to date.
Dr. Martin was awesome. Easy going, very knowledgeable and educational. I was very happy to work with her. I can see clearly now!
Also, I REALLY liked how there was none of the incessant offering of additional services you get bombarded with these days (NO I DO not need to get my radiator flushed on my 2012 car Mr. Oil Change Guy) so this was a breath of fresh air.
As far as the cost? No idea. I have vision insurance.

I’m another glasses-​wearer that had been putting off getting an exam for 8 years, and needed an updated prescription and specs.
I’ve used Lenscrafters & Vision World in the past. The last go-​round at Lenscrafters, I brought my prescription and they were 1-​hour turn around. But I accepted compromises on my lenses (replaced Rayban-​brand lenses with generics for my sunglasses), and the frame fit wasn’t quite perfect (probably not the fault of the optician, just the natural rush in a busy location). So this time I resolved to go the extra mile and use a local independent clinic and wait for my specs to be properly produced.
The staff was great, as was Dr. Swensen.
My Vision Service Plan coverage was honored (and they’d pre-​verified for me that I had functional coverage before I’d even booked the appt). I paid only a routine copay for the exam, but I did chose to pay $ 30 extra for a detailed exam & reading of my retina state. At my age, I found the discussion with Dr. Swensen during the extra retina exam to be valuable and informative.
As to frame selection, they had a reasonable array of styles and price points. It wasn’t ‘huge’ compared to some large mall stores, but it was more than suitable for my tastes and I _​sincerely_​appreciated the personal service of the lady that helped me choose frames. She assisted extensively with helping me locate a style that suited my face and preferences. I was more than happy with her input.
I’ll admit that I opted for a more expensive glasses frame and sunglasses. But I knew that I was going to be paying a fair amount, and it was clear less expensive options were available. From my perspective, my eyes and ability to see are probably my most valuable sense; I’m willing to pay a fair amount for this niche. Esp. if I use these glasses for another x years. :D
My glasses took approximately a week to complete — they tested and caught an issue with the as-​delivered prescription on the sunglasses, and sent them back immediately to be corrected, before I was contacted to pick my glasses up. The sunglasses took approx. another 4 days as I recall.
The optician that fitted both my glasses and sunglasses (separate days and a different staff member than the lady that assisted me with picking frames) did a thorough job and ensured that they fit great! I’ve had badly-​fitted and/​or badly-​prescripted lenses in the past, and sincerely appreciated the attention to detail and verification that my new specs were working and fitting properly.
I will absolutely be going Dr. Swensen and the Uptown Vision Clinic for my annual checkup next year! :)

Friendly, knowledgeable, and take the TIME to get to know you and your eye concerns/​needs. I have seen both optometrists (Dr. Sabre and Dr. Swenson) and I really appreciate how they take the time to thoroughly examine my eyes and explain every step in the process. They are very patient with answering any (and all!) questions or concerns I might have, which is GREAT. This was NOT the case with the last clinic I used to go to. I definitely recommend Uptown Vision!

I had a great experience getting my eyes checked at Uptown Vision clinic. The staff was VERY helpful when I had to pick out glasses; which would have been a nightmare for me otherwise. I was a bit unsatisfied with the service when it came to getting my glasses delivered but never in my life have I received such nice and personal customer service in response to my complaints. Any issues I had were made up for in full.

Uptown consistently provides excellent service and expert counsel for my eyes and optical needs, as they have for more than 15 years. Besides the usual services, they learned how crucial as my eyes age it is to have the right glasses for computer work and go the extra mile to talk over and design the right prescription.

Great experience! I went in for an exam and to pick out new frames, everything went smoothly. The doctors are great and the specialists helping you shop for new glasses/​sunglasses were even better. I highly recommend Uptown Vision, I don’t see myself going anywhere else.

Dr. Sabre is simply an outstanding doc. He is thorough, attentive, and takes the time to get to know you and understand your particular situation and concerns in every exam. The rest of the the staff matches his professionalism and expertise. I have been an Uptown Vision patient for over 10 years and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone seeking superior eyecare and an excellent experience.

I have been going to Uptown Vision Clinic for approximately ten years… so I have ten year’s worth of COMPLIMENTS to share! I’ll do it the easy way…
1.) The Staff ROCKS! They really, really care about your vision and if you are happy with your contacts or glasses.
I guess that sums it up. They will know you by name and greet you when you arrive. The doctors are thorough and nice. They have always been great to me, and now my son is seeing them for his vision needs. When I come in with my son, Jean prints kids jokes off the computer and teaches them to him. (He still tells the one about Batman and Robin, Jean.)
Once I purchased a pair of glasses thinking I had hit the nail on the head with style and design. Six months later when I went back for contact replenishment, they asked how the glasses were working. I said I never wore them… for a variety of reasons pertaining to the color and cut of the frame… Jean said, give them to me. She put them away, I never saw them again… and started over and got something that worked! Now that’s when my impression of them skyrocketed. I am pretty sure I have purchased four pairs of glasses since then and many pairs of contacts. Get your prescription and go there… or better yet, make your next checkup with Dr. Sabre or Dr. Swenson… seriously, your eyes will thank you!