‘A’ LINE IN SAND

Rockaway best city-run beach

LIFE REALLY is a beach in Rockaway, where a “nearly impeccable” shoreline vaulted it to the top of the city’s seaside spots in a new report obtained by the News.

New Yorkers for Parks gave the Queens peninsula an A-minus rating in its survey, but fabled Coney Island received just a C-plus.

The non-profit’s “Report Card on Beaches,” which will be released Wednesday, examined eight cityrun beaches last summer.

Researchers found the Coney Island/Brighton Beach shoreline littered with broken glass, though free of trash. About a third of drinking fountains were beset by low water pressure and had algae, weeds or other “unsanitary substance.”

Tupper Thomas, who led the review, said the ratings keep the public informed. “We want the city to put more money into parks and into the right places,” he said.

The report, usually issued every two years, was delayed a year to give the city time to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Manhattan Beach earned the second spot with a B-plus, followed by Cedar Grove with a B and South Beach with a B-minus. Midland Beach and Coney Island/Brighton Beach tied for fifth place at C-plus.

Orchard Beach, rated D, was found to be “challenged. ”And Wolfe’s Pond Beach in Staten Island — at rock bottom with an F — was strewn with “excessive litter or large natural debris,” and in need of sand replenishment.

“Because our beaches are New York City’s first line of defense against climate change, NYC Parks has made the creation of a strong, resilient waterfront a priority, said department spokesman Sam Biederman.”

Biederman said repair crews regularly monitor bathrooms and water fountains in Coney Island and other beaches for needed repairs.

Rockaway concession owners gloated over the beach’s no. 1 ranking, while visitors and vendors in Coney Island were not discouraged by its middling grade.

Matteo Castelli, the 41-year-old manager at Tom’s Coney Island, said he hoped researchers returned for a second look. And the rain didn’t dampen 82-year-old Marion Kueber’s enthusiasm for Coney Island.

“This is the only beach that I know so it's gotta be no. 1 for me,” she said.

Czyana Perrone hits surf at Rockaway Beach (above l.), and Irina Karp catches rays on Manhattan Beach.

With the summer heat upon us, the grades are in for the city-run beaches:ROCKAWAY MIDLAND BEACH (S.I.)MANHATTAN BEACH (B’KLYN) CONEY ISLAND/ BRIGHTON BEACH CEDAR GROVE BEACH (S.I.) ORCHARD BEACH (BX.)SOUTH BEACH (S.I.) WOLFE’S PONDBEACH (S.I.)