We would provide the orchestra, conductor, soloists, et cetera.

The mayor looked at him and said, This is a wonderful idea and I'm very happy to help.

But I am the mayor of the city in New York, not the mayor of Manhattan.

And if you will design and build, I'll pay for something that can take your concerts to all five boroughs.

Then we have a deal.

And that was what Carlos said.

Okay, Nick, get at it and make this happen.

Parks Department.

In their infinite wisdom, they had a crowd estimating staff, and they predicted that there would be 5000 people at that concert.

And lo and behold, it was 70 or 75,000.

We've been saying there are about 150,000 fans here to hear very first concert in the park, and I just happened to find one of them.

A certain Rudolph Giuliani Welcome.

Great, isn't it?

What a terrific crowd.

What do you think is so special about these kinds of events that bring this many New Yorkers together.

This is some of the greatest music ever written by the greatest orchestra in the world.

And this is a It was a really terrific event.

I enjoyed music.

I enjoyed the whole experience.

Why I got out there because I don't want to go way back down.

That's what did this two years ago.

A couple of people from his staff.

And it was awesome.

Just the greatest event of the year.

Michelle here brought a little bird with what was then Griffin.

Hello.

Is Griffin like music?

Yes, he does very much.

Griffin sing a number of music lovers out here tonight, and one of them is now joining me.

Skylar shaping the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Hell long have you been coming here?

How many years?

36 years.

In the first year.

And I've been every year since 1965.

How has it changed over the years?

Actually, the lovely thing is it hasn't changed that much.

People come here to have a good time to listen to good music.

Families come picnics, all kinds of people favorite musical memories was playing in the parks in 2001 and actually that night had almost rained out because it was awful weather all day, and I hope it works out, is really I mean, it's obviously it's a very special place in the center park.

I live in New York, so it's fun to play my for my friends and such a great bodies is sticking around still with Raynham and five minutes before the concert, supposed to start, the huge thunder clouds just opened up, and suddenly we had nice weather.

It was like divine intervention, seeing the sea of people from the stage and playing Bernstein, that great New Yorker playing the West Side Story suite in New York in Manhattan.

It was one of the greatest musical experiences for me that I've had, and I'll never forget it.