New York City’s parks get a “C” in the latest report card to grade neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs.

On average, the city’s community parks scored a 78% in 2004, according to the New Yorkers for Parks 2004 Report Card to be released today. That’s slightly better than in 2003, when the parks scored 74%.

“The report card makes a clear case that we need to start investing in our parks,” the group’s executive director, Christian DiPalermo, said yesterday. The city’s neighborhood parks are “the front and backyard” for thousands of New Yorkers, he said.

Manhattan’s Bryant Park scored a perfect 100%, while University Woods in the Bronx got an “F,” scoring 12%. Out of the 195 parks surveyed 46 failed the test.

The parks surveyed ranged in size from one to 20 acres. The scores are based on eight criteria ranging from the quality of the bathrooms and drinking fountains to the surrounding area and playgrounds. This is New Yorkers for Parks’ second annual report card.

Overall, poor bathroom quality was the biggest problem citywide, with broken drinking fountains coming a close second. Inferior ballparks were also a problem, since many are covered in dirt rather than green grass.

Among the 10 best parks in the city, four are in Manhattan, two in Staten Island, and two are in Brooklyn. Just one park each in Queens and the Bronx made the list.

Six of the city’s lowest-scoring parks are in Brooklyn, and two in Staten Island. There is one in the Bronx – University Woods, which ranked the lowest among all the parks – and another in Manhattan.

“We try to look at it from a park users’ perspective,” Mr. DiPalermo said.

A number of parks – particularly in Manhattan – rely on private funding to stay in tip-top shape. Mr. Di-Palermo said securing private funds in the outer boroughs is more difficult. “It’s the parks that need to rely solely on public funding and not private funding that lack general maintenance,” he said.

The city spends $164 million on parks a year, a spokeswoman for the group, Rowena Daly, said. Overall the city has 28,700 acres of parkland.

The report card did have some good news for parks lovers. Mr. DiPalermo said for the most part parks are in better condition, with many moving into the “B” and “C” grade range this year compared to last.

In this year’s report 58% of the parks surveyed received a “B” compared to 35% in 2003. And 46% of the parks received a “C” grade compared to 34% last year. The number of parks that received an “F” fell to 23% from 38% the year before.