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Muppets Named Official Family Ambassador to New York City

Kermit the Frog, Gonzo and Miss Piggy were on hand for the official announcement.

Friday, Apr 13, 2012 | Updated 5:09 PM EDT

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Mayor Bloomberg named the Muppets the official family ambassadors to New York City during a press conference on Friday.

Mayor Names Muppets Family Ambassadors...

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The Muppets are taking Manhattan once again -- and Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx too. Mayor Michael Bloomberg named the puppets the official family ambassadors for the city of New York on Friday.

Bloomberg said the city is "proud to enlist the help of key family experts, the Muppets, to promote the five boroughs domestically and abroad" in an effort to boost tourism in the Big Apple.

His goal is to welcome 55 million visitors annually to the city by 2015, and hopes Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of their friends can help them reach their number.

“New York is the most fabulous city in the world," said Miss Piggy. "In fact, it’s almost as fabulous as moi. And trust me, that’s high praise indeed!"

The family ambassador program highlights family-friendly things to do around the city, including museums, restaurants, parks and beaches.

It was created in 2009 to "help position New York City as a safe, welcoming, family-friendly destination and to encourage families to visit during the summer."

The Muppets' connection to New York City can be traced back to the 1960s, when creator Jim Jenson brought Sesame Street to life in Manhattan.

The Muppets famously "took" Manhattan in a 1984 movie, and a display of Henson's projects was recently on display at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The exhibit featured a Muppet of Mayor Bloomberg.

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