Vardiman Eyewear

Manhattanites who have been buying their retro specs at Moscot (open since 1915) for as long as they can remember may find a reason to cheat on the Manhattan eyewear institution, thanks to Vardiman. The store carries high-end frames for men and women by Oliver Peoples, Ray-Ban, Paul Smith and Lafont—not to mention exclusive styles by Japan’s Kio Yamato. While the price points are upscale, a trip here is worth it for the service. After you get an eye exam from one of the two doctors on the premises (Wednesdays and Saturdays are the most busy), Vardiman’s multilingual staff (they speak English, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese) will help you pore over cases of eyewear. These do include a number of cheaper options, making the term four eyes totally fly—and affordable.