B R O N X W E E K 2 0 1 9 - M A Y 1 0 T O 1 9
World-Class Eye Care & Eyewear, With Strong Local Roots:
Did you know?
Hugh Grant Circle in
Parkchester was the
only planned traffi c
circle to come into being in
our borough of the Bronx
A key Revolutionary War
battle fought in 1776 is described
on a historical marker
plaque in the White Castle
parking lot in Westchester
Square
Hunts Point is home to the
largest wholesale produce
market in the world
While the spelling of
Throggs Neck is often contested
(with 2 “G”s by local
residents, with 1 by DOT), the
original founder of the community,
John Throckmorton,
had no “G”s in his name at
all!
Our borough’s history is
storied and rich - as is that of
our family-owned small business,
Metro Optics, which has
served patients with worldclass
eye care and a community
focus for over 4 decades.
Michael Ungaro, who grew
up in Castle Hill and returned
there after serving in the U.S.
Army Special Forces, opened
the very fi rst Metro Optics
location in Parkchester in
1978. Dr. Eva Yan, Metro Optics’
Head of Optometry and
co-owner, joined the practice
in 1982; later, she and Ungaro
married, and to date have
opened 3 more locations in
the Bronx along with business
partner John Bonizio.
The newest Metro Optics,
our Flagship, opened in the
Throggs Neck Shopping Center
in Fall 2014. This location
is fully outfi tted with the latest
digital eye care tools, a
Wearable Tech department
featuring “smart glasses,”
and a system that uses 3D
scanning and printing to produce
eyewear tailor-made to
the wearer. In 2015, we added
advanced instrumentation
to our Westchester Square
practice to screen for several
inherited and acquired ocular
diseases, with the ability
to diagnose and treat many
conditions in-offi ce, and completed
a comprehensive renovation
to this offi ce in January
2019. In 2018, we proudly
reopened our Hunts Point location,
which was closed for
nearly 2 years due to damage
from a fi re in the apartments
above it on Southern Blvd.
Team Metro – currently
numbering 54, and growing
– is our biggest asset.
Every staff member plays a
unique role in providing an
exceptional eye care experience
for each patient. Many
employees, such as Throggs
Neck location manager Aurora
Susi, have been with the
company for years – Susi began
as a part-time receptionist
in Westchester Square 31
years ago, and worked her
way up to licensed optician
and eyewear buyer for all
Metro stores. Continuing education
and professional development
are a top priority;
knowing the optical industry
inside and out – complemented
by close ties to the
neighborhoods we serve – has
allowed our staff to build relationships
BRONX TIMES R 50 EPORTER, MAY 10-16, 2019 BTR
spanning generations:
grandparents, parents,
children and their friends,
from around the Bronx and
beyond.
As we continue to grow
in the Bronx, we are also expanding
our digital footprint:
in 2018, we relaunched our ecommerce
site metroopticsonline.
com to provide online
eyewear sales to patients
who have moved, attend an
out-of-town college, or otherwise
aren’t able to visit a
brick-and-mortar location, in
addition to serving new customers
outside of NYC. With
this initiative, we aim to meet
the needs those who prefer to
shop online with a trusted, locally
based provider (whether
they reside within our geographic
service area or not).
Metro Optics Online also offers
easy sign-up for our Vision
Club, so that patients
without insurance can access
an affordable eye care and
eyewear package.
Outside of our practices,
Metro Optics’ leadership
team has long been respected
in both the local business
community as well as in the
national optometry sector
and optical industry as innovative,
outspoken advocates
for the highest quality
products and services in the
Bronx and beyond – in 2018,
Metro was named a Finalist
in INVISION Magazine’s
Top Optical Retailer Contest.
Our Community Relations
team provides free vision
screenings and distributes
eye health information at local
health fairs and neighborhood
events, in order to raise
awareness of the importance
of eye care and eye protection;
we also partner with local
nonprofi ts to provide dedicated
screening events for
their program participants.
Metro sponsors numerous
organizations around the
Bronx whose missions advance
the eye health and
overall wellness of its residents
and their enjoyment of
our vibrant borough, as well
as initiatives to promote a
sustainable environment for
local businesses.
The Bronx
Metro Optics has
four Bronx locations: in
Parkchester at 1332 Metropolitan
Avenue; 25 Westchester
Square; 815 Hutchinson River
Parkway in the Throggs Neck
Shopping Center; and in
Hunts Point at 1038 Southern
Boulevard. Reach any location
via our main phone line,
1-800-230-EYES. A vast library
of eye health information
is available on the main
Metro Optics website www.
metrooptics.com, where patients
can request an eye examination
appointment.
Metro Optics Celebrates Over 4 Decades Serving The Bronx
/metrooptics.com