Directions to Shapiro Laser Eye Center [ Map ].
For nearly 20 years, patients from Santa Maria have trusted their LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery to Dr. David Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. Santa Maria is a convenient 30 minute drive from the Shapiro Laser Eye Center.
Santa Maria is now the largest City in Santa Barbara County, boasting a population of 99,553. Santa Maria’s population, in fact, recently surpassed that Santa Barbara to the south of Santa Barbara County. The metropolitan area of Santa Maria is typically considered to include the Santa Maria Valley, Guadalupe, Orcutt, and Nipomo. Santa Maria is approximately a 30 minute drive from the Shapiro Laser Eye Center in San Luis Obispo and approximately a one hour drive from the Shapiro Laser Eye Center satellite office in Santa Barbara, allowing convenient access for LASIK and PRK patients undergoing laser vision correction in the Santa Maria area.
The economy of Santa Maria is largely based on agriculture. Santa Maria’s primary crops are strawberries, wine grapes, celery, lettuce, peas, squash, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, and beans. Santa Maria is also home to numerous cattle ranches.
Wineries, vineyards, and winemakers are becoming an increasingly important part of the Santa Maria economy and landscape.
Beside the agricultural backbone of Santa Maria’s economy, the close presence of Vandenberg Air Force Base also plays a major role, providing jobs in the aerospace industry. In fact, Vandenberg Air Force Base is the largest employer in Santa Maria, followed by Santa Maria’s Marian Medical Center, the Santa Maria -Bonita School District, and then Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
Certainly, Santa Maria has up until recently been best known for its Tri-Tip and Santa Maria style barbecued meat. In fact, the Tri-Tip cut has its roots in Santa Maria. More recently, though, Santa Maria is developing a national reputation for its wine.
Santa Maria, along with Lompoc, Los Alamos Valley, and Santa Ynez Valley are referred to as the “Santa Barbara Wine Country.” This area, anchored in Santa Maria, is one of the largest wine producing areas in the United States. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two types of wine grapes that grow particularly well in the northern Santa Barbara county climate of Santa Maria. Some of the more famous Santa Maria wineries include Au Bon Climate, Foxen, Cambria, Byron, Rancho Sisquoc, and Bien Nacido Vineyards.
Besides agriculture, food, and wine, Santa Maria is famous for its theater. Santa Maria’s Allan Hancock College is the home of the highly respected Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA) Theater. Beside the PCPA Theater in Santa Maria, there is also a PCPA Theater in Solvang.
Many Santa Maria residents have undergone either LASIK or PRK eye surgery with Dr. Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center over the past twenty years. Dr. Shapiro’s San Luis Obispo office has provided patients with convenient access to world class laser vision correction. Dr. Shapiro’s office is a 30 minute drive from Santa Maria up the 101 Freeway.