Pinehill Reserve is a neighbourhood park on Taroka Close in Pinehill, on Auckland's North Shore, where visitors have given it a 4.5 rating on Google. A good suburban reserve earns its keep in quiet ways: a stretch of open grass for a kickabout, shade for a bench lunch, a safe loop for the pram or the dog. Locals know the best of them are often tucked behind the streets, reached on foot through a walkway rather than a car park, and that Auckland's clay soils hold water after rain, so mornings are usually the surer bet for a dry walk. It also pays to check Auckland Council's dog exercise maps first, as on- and off-leash rules vary from reserve to reserve. Set among the streets of Pinehill, this reserve gives the neighbourhood a green patch of its own, a short walk from home.