The Grandma Stand offers New Yorkers a listening ear and comforting advice
NEW YORK (PIX11) – There’s nothing like a grandmother's wisdom and now one man is making it easier for New Yorkers to feel that comfort.
Mike Matthews hosts the weekly pop-up, the Grandma Stand, where New Yorkers can sit with a grandma for free advice or a listening ear.
The portable purple pop-up stand is set up near parks around New York City and connects passers-by with one of 10 grandmas, in person or virtually. Those looking to chat can answer the prompt question of the day which is voted on by Instagram users on the Grandma Stand account.
Most recently, the Grandma Stand popped up in Tribeca on Wednesday, welcoming New Yorkers to answer the question, “who do you owe an apology?” Within two hours more than 24 people stopped by.
Mike says the idea started with his grandma Eileen more than 10 years ago. She wanted to visit New York but couldn’t leave her home in Seattle due to her age. That’s when Mike decided to buy a lemonade stand and invited New Yorkers to talk with his grandma virtually.
The project continued until Mike’s grandma passed at the age of 101. About six years later Mike decided to carry on her legacy with a more portable stand, painted in his grandmother’s favorite color.
The Grandma Stand now continues with women in Mike’s life who are actual grandmothers. Other New Yorkers have also reached out about having their grandmothers take part, something Mike says he welcomes.
To see where the Grandma Stand will pop up next, you can follow the account on Instagram. Mike says he’s also working to team up with more parks around New York City to expand the project.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.