Man Robbed at Knifepoint

An Upper East Side man was robbed at knifepoint early yesterday morning in Central Park, police officials said.

A knife-wielding suspect robbed the 23-year-old victim, who police did not identify, near the perimeter of the park's grounds at 96^th Street and Fifth Avenue, police said.

The victim, who lives in the neighborhood, told investigators that after robbing him, the suspect, who was about 6-foot-tall and wearing a red-plaid flannel shirt and jeans, fled into the park with a MetroCard and cash, police said.

There have been 24 robberies this year in Central Park as of September 30, the last date that police released crime statistics. During the same period last year, there were 20 robberies, according to the statistics.

The number of robberies this year in Central Park has dropped about 85% compared to the same period in 1993, according to police statistics.