Stretton Reserve is a small suburban park on Stretton Street in Bishopdale, Christchurch, carrying a 3.0 rating from a single Google review. Small neighbourhood reserves are the workhorses of a city's green space: usually pockets of mown grass and a few trees tucked between houses, best suited to a short dog walk, a kickabout or a quiet bench stop rather than a planned outing. The trick is knowing what each one offers before you set out — whether there is playground equipment or seating you need, and how the ground holds up after rain, since suburban lawns can stay soft through a Canterbury winter. Dog rules also vary from reserve to reserve, so it pays to read the signage at the gate. For Bishopdale locals, a reserve on the street where you live is the handiest kind of green space there is.