Mireya Diaz-Granados has lived on West 111th Street since 1952. About a year ago, with a push and help from her three grandchildren (she now calls her granddaughter her “director”), she set up a TikTok account. Over 250,000 followers – who she affectionately refers to as her “grandchildren” –  have since come to know Mireya as Grandma Abuela. (Abuela means “Grandma” in Spanish). Mireya’s Instagram account hasn’t gone quite as viral, but we’re hoping this article will change that.

@yourgrandmaabuelaI guess I just know how to dance good ? @usimmango ##greenscreenvideo ##trend ##viral ##dancechallenge ##latina? Stromae Alors on Danse – ?????? & ??? ?

She had no intentions of becoming an influencer, but she’s had a blast entertaining people and meeting her followers, who come from all around the world. A lot of people reach out to her for advice. Others just reach out to her to chat (and perhaps funnel positive energy from).

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While she tells us she really just does this for fun, and has no desire to treat it like a business, she happily promotes her favorite brands. One you’ll see her mention frequently is BistroMD, which she gets frozen meals from; she especially loves their salmon. Another frequent name drop is Manic Panic, which she gets her hair coloring from.

She also shows love to her neighboring businesses.

Here she is at the Tacombi on the UWS, and here she is enjoying a boba tea from Tea Magic at 2878 Broadway, between 111th and 112th Streets. She loves their drinks, and their giant, colorful straws, which she likes to collect.

Some of her other favorite neighborhood spots include Mondel Chocolates, Levain Bakery, Milano Market, Wu and Nussbaum (which makes soup she loves), and the Haagen Dazs on Broadway between 113th and 114th Streets.

@yourgrandmaabuelaWhat’s your favorite ice cream flavor ?? ##haagendazs ##icecream ##upperwestside ##foodie ##nycfoodie ##mukbang ##wieiad? Addicted – Gucci Mane

A lot of her posts also feature her two cats, her rotating hair colors, and her undeniably awesome dance moves.

She moved from the Dominican Republic to NYC when she was 17, and lived on 72nd and Broadway before moving further north. She worked as a typist before retiring and tells us she’s given to charity for years, two of which include St. Jude’s Hospital and the ASPCA.

Mireya doesn’t venture far these days because she needs a walker, but she really misses going to Riverside and Central Parks.

A link in her Instagram bio includes an Amazon wishlist which we asked her about it. She said her granddaughter must have set it up, reiterating that she really just does this for fun and doesn’t need anything. But we’re going to leave the link here anyway.

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