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River of Dreams

Just a stone’s throw from the Hudson River, they’ve taken their community’s ‘local-first’ ethos to heart.

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Eyes on Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, NY

OWNERS: Katelyn Rogerson, OD, and Jonathan White; URL: eyesonhudson.com; FACEBOOK: facebook.com/eyesonhudsonopt; INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/eyesonhudson; FOUNDED: 2020;AREA: 1,600 sq. ft.; Buildout cost: $160,000; ARCHITECT AND DESIGN FIRMS: San Siguenza for Teo Siguenza Architects; TOP BRANDS: Ahlem, Jacques Marie Mage, Masunaga, MOSCOT, Thierry Lasry; EMPLOYEES: 1 full-time, 1 part-time


This NY Practice Combines Attentive Care With Expert Eyewear Curation in a Stunning Setting

(L-R) optician Justin Landon, patient coordinator Tina Marquez-Hathaway, owner Dr. Katelyn Rogerson, and creative director San Sigüenza. PHOTO: Luis Ramirez/@Larufoto

WHEN DR. KATELYN Rogerson and her husband, IT professional Jonathan White, opened their tech-forward optometry practice and optical shop Eyes on Hudson in Dobbs Ferry, 45 minutes north of NYC, in 2020, it was the perfect expression not only of their complementary professional skill sets but also of their shared appreciation for the Hudson Valley’s natural beauty and rich history.

Prior to opening the practice Rogerson spent a decade as an associate OD for a highly regarded NYC independent eyewear brand. “Although I worked on the eyecare side, I got to see first-hand how an independent brand can resonate with the public, especially when there is a compelling backstory,” she recalls, adding that “it was a given that Eyes on Hudson would focus on best-in-class independent eyewear.”

Catering to a tight-knit community of tech-savvy professionals who actively seek to support local businesses, Eyes on Hudson is a stone’s throw from the river for which it is named. The interior’s deep blues, reclaimed wood and industrial metals evoke the region and its history.

Entering the space, customers encounter lofted, two-story-high gallery ceilings with a full wall of windows, an eight-foot chandelier, and an industrial steel and wood staircase leading to the upstairs mezzanine — all custom, as the practice is the first occupant of the new Main Street storefront. “Fun things like our record player and record collection, and our logo rendered as an oversized neon sign, give us a fun, clubhouse feel,” says Rogerson.

This NY Practice Combines Attentive Care With Expert Eyewear Curation in a Stunning Setting

Eyes on Hudson’s cohesive brand identity draws on the ‘natural beauty and nautical character of our river-adjacent location,’ says owner Dr. Katelyn Rogerson.

Masunaga, Ahlem, and MOSCOT are the top sellers for Eyes on Hudson, which works primarily with Shamir and IOT for lenses. “We are ecumenical with contact lens brands, although we try to keep our patients up to date with the latest CL technology,” says Rogerson, adding, “I want to give a shout out to every one of our frame reps. They are amazing resources for their own collections but also in terms of being industry-wide experts. During COVID-19 lockdowns our shop was still in the early stages of construction, and for our opening orders many of our reps literally came to our house and showed us their collections at our kitchen table. All of them are still our partners today.”

All visits are by appointment only, a model that partly reflects the pandemic conditions amid which Eyes on Hudson opened; Rogerson and White signed a lease in early March 2020, about one week before their area of New York was shut down, opening their doors in November of that year.

They will likely remain appointment-only even as COVID-19 concerns fade. “Our employees love the organized and surprise-free days, and our patients love the personal attention. There is never a line, there is rarely a wait.”

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Eyes on Hudson’s cohesive brand identity extends into its digital presence, which Rogerson describes as “our demographic’s native habitat.” The website and social media eschew “stock images of strangers in glasses” in favor of “on-brand images related to our Hudson Valley heritage: some combination of the natural beauty and the nautical character of our river-adjacent location.” Rogerson and her team have been surprised by the amount of traffic their online store attracts, particularly the sales it has facilitated with far-off customers. She adds, however, that
“online isn’t our business model. We see our online store as a sales tool to help our potential local patients understand our collection and see what independent eyewear is all about before they set foot in our gallery.”

For Eyes on Hudson, evoking the local environment and heritage is more than just decorative. While they are still new to the community, says Rogerson, “at every step we are engaging with local vendors and makers to create our Hudson Valley-centric space. Luckily, the Hudson Valley is rich with talent. We worked with a local cabinet maker to create our display cabinets and a local neon sign collective to create our neon logo, all of our business cards and stationery are printed by a local letterpress print shop, and so on. We can tag these vendors and makers in our social media feed to bring attention to them and create a large sense of community.”

This NY Practice Combines Attentive Care With Expert Eyewear Curation in a Stunning Setting

Five Cool Things About Eyes on Hudson

1. MULTI-TALENTED. The gallery was designed by artist/eyewear designer San Siguenza, who also works as an optician for Eyes on Hudson.

2. PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT. Dr. Rogerson’s husband Jonathan White’s tech know-how has proven invaluable in this paper-free, online-scheduling, multi-digital-channel practice. He even writes code when a tweak is needed.

3. CONVERSATION PIECE. “Our favorite piece of art in the space is the neon rendition of our logo, made by Lite Brite, up the river in Kingston, NY.”

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4. HEY DJ! Patients are free to commandeer the optical’s turntable. “We always get compliments on our record collection,” says Rogerson.

5. GREEN GIVING. “People love gifting us plants!” says Rogerson. “Every plant in our shop is a gift, and it is a gift to us that our optician Justin keeps them alive!”

PHOTO GALLERY (28 IMAGES)

JUDGES’ COMMENTS
  • Jenn Denham, Director of Growth Marketing, Optify, Salt Lake City, UT: Eyes on Hudson’s beautiful interior mirrors the surrounding community vibe. The marketing is cohesive and tells the great story of this dynamic duo. Overall a beautiful optical location and story!
  • David Duralde, Chief Creative Officer, OGI Eyewear, Minneapolis, MN: This digitally tech forward practice also knows the basics of creating a patient friendly experience, which amounts to a stunning mixture of comfort and novelty.
  • Paige Kraemer, ABOC, Sales Consultant, Minnesota, Cherry Optical Lab, Green Bay, WI: The use of the warm wood and cool steel for the interior and stairway are unique. The look is clean, warm, inviting and focused.
  • jacqueline johnson:I love the attention to detail and the consistency in branding.

 

Fine Story

Eyes on Hudson has made an effort to introduce its community to local eyewear, including an entire display devoted to New York brands, an idea Rogerson came up with after noticing the popularity of local Farmers Markets. “All brands [in the display] have roots in New York, and some are made here. Our collection includes MOSCOT, the iconic NYC brand. We are also thrilled to work with Lowercase, which is designed and manufactured in NYC. We carry MODO’s Made in Brooklyn line, and New York designer Moss Lipow rounds out the display with his edgy retro collection.”

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