Long Bay / Beach Road Reserve is a local park on Beach Road at 1045/1047, Long Bay, North Shore City, Auckland, with a 3.8 Google rating. Coastal reserves like this are judged on simplicity — open grass, shade and quiet rather than facilities, as smaller reserves often go without toilets, playgrounds or barbecues, so it pays to arrive self-sufficient. Around Long Bay, most visitors make for the big regional park and its beach, which is why locals value the grassed reserves along Beach Road as a calmer alternative. Seaside grass can be damp or worn, so bring a rug, and check the signage for dog rules, which vary from reserve to reserve across Auckland. For a quiet patch of grass when Long Bay's regional park and beach are heaving on a fine afternoon, this Beach Road reserve fits the bill.