Albany is a northern suburb of the North Shore area. The name derives from Alba (Gaelic for Scotland) and its Latinisation. It is located 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland City. One of the city's newest suburbs, it was until relatively recently a town in its own right, and still has a feeling of not being truly a part of the city, which lies predominantly to the southeast of it. Much of the land to the north of Albany is still semi-rural. The Maori name for the area was Okahukura (literally, 'place of rainbows' or 'place of butterflies'). The town was originally known as Lucas Creek, but was renamed in 1890 after Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, a son of Queen Victoria.

Birkenhead is approx four kilometres northwest of Auckland city centre. 

The southern part of the suburb is known as Birkenhead Point and lies between Chelsea Bay and Little Shoal Bay, one kilometre to the west of the northern approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is surrounded by the suburbs of Northcote and Highbury to the north and Chelsea and Chatswood to the west.

Birkenhead was described as "wild and bleak" by the New Zealand Herald in 1883, as it was isolated from the city of Auckland by the harbour, and was little occupied. However, in 1882 it was chosen as the site of New Zealand's only sugar refinery, and in 1883 work began on the Chelsea Sugar Refinery. The company built houses for its many new workers which created a vibrancy in the Birkenhead region. The Refinery was the main source of work for the area for many years, and still operates today.

Once the site of ancient kauri forests, Birkenhead was the site of temporary gum-diggers' camps and Auckland families would cross the Waitemata Harbour by ferry at weekends to dig in the fields around Birkenhead.

Birkenhead was named after the town of the same name across the River Mersey in Liverpool. The English Birkenhead was noted for its elegant and expensive houses, its sea views and its charmingly laid out picturesque park copied by New York's Central Park.

Birkenhead was one of several areas on the North Shore popular as a location for the homes of successful middle-class people. These men, usually professionals or business owners, would use the Auckland Harbour Ferry Services to commute to Auckland. The wharves at Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead were very busy until the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959 changed things forever. The ferry to Birkenhead was resumed in the 1980s and since the increase in congestion on the bridge, the usage of the Birkenhead Ferry has grown considerably.

Peter Brown, after whom the bay is named, bought 136 acres of bush and scrub there in 1876. He built his house on what is now the corner of Clyde Road and Anzac Road. This house was destroyed by fire in 1930.

He also built a manager's residence in 1886 overlooking his land (now Freyberg Park) at 33 Glencoe Road. This house still exists and is believed to be the oldest existing house in East Coast Bays.

Browns Bay has a vibrant shopping precinct which borders along the beach front. Cafes, restaurants and bars give the village a vibrant atmosphere. All major shops, services and banks can be found along with a number of boutique establishments.

A beautiful white sandy beach has magnificent views out towards Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi Island to the north. Well serviced with a boat ramp and the base for the Browns Bay Boating Club and the Marine Centre. Browns Bay is home to the East Coast Bays Rugby League Club, known as the Barracudas and home to the Browns Bay Bowls Club

Devonport is a historic seaside village located at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna. With a lovely sandy beach and a compact village centre packed with historic buildings and bustling with cafés, shops and galleries Devonport is easy to get to from the city being one of the main ferry stops with ferries every 10 minutes from downtown. 

Devonport is one of Auckland's oldest suburbs and also home to the NZ Navy and is the site of the Tainui Waka landing. For further information on Devonport visit www.devonport.co.nz

Greenhithe is a picturesque harbour side suburb with a real village feel. Greenhithe name comes from an old English word "hithe" or "hythe" meaning wharf.

Greenhithe has a lovely unique feel and is considered by those in the area to be one of the North Shore’s best kept secrets! The area is well served with parks, sportsgrounds and harbourside walks. The recent development of the motorway has made access to Greenhithe easy from the shore and the west, however, Greenhithe maintains that out of the way fee and it's location has allowed it to remain special and a little secluded.

Famous for it's garden tours the greenery give the suburb a truly rural appeal. In the heart of Greenhithe the Malt House is the quintessential village pub popular for it's wood fired pizzas.

Long Bay is located at the northern end of East Coast Bays. Just a 30 minute drive and 25km north of Auckland's CBD Long Bay is within easy reach of the main public transport hubs, shopping areas, and commercial centres of the North Shore.

Long Bay is home to the Long Bay Regional Park which is a magnificent natural environment. One of Auckland's favourite escapes, it's renowned and treasured for its incredible scenery, wide-open green spaces, rolling hills, and safe sandy beach with the shoreline being in Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve.

Murrays Bay is a small suburb in the East Coast Bays region. Murrays Bay beach has a wharf, which has recently been restored and upgraded, that people jump off and fish. Murrays Bay is also part of the Coastal walkway between Rothesay Bay and Mairangi Bay. There is a sailing club that is popular and well used by locals.

Mairangi Bay is located approximately central in the East Coast Bays area. Famous for being the first shopping centre in NZ to have Saturday morning shopping it is a popular shopping suburb with lots of boutique shops, cafes, mini plazas and restaurants as well as a safe swimming beach within easy walking distance of the shops.

With a regular Saturday morning Farmers’ Market and also home to Mairangi Bay Arts Centre.

Takapuna is a vibrant seaside suburb and the home to stylish shops, swanky cafés and a bustling Sunday market.
It is a central, coastal suburb of North Shore City, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour. While small in terms of population, it was the seat of the North Shore City Council before the amalgamation of Auckland in 2010 and contains substantial shopping and entertainment areas, being considered the CBD of North Shore City.

The earliest subdivisions of farmland for suburban development were the "Hurstmere" estate in 1886 and the "Pupuke" Estate in 1889. The Takapuna and Milford Beach areas, as well as the land surrounding Lake Pupuke soon became popular spots for wealthy businessmen building summer homes to entertain in a rural surrounding, and eventually, many moved here permanently, commuting to work in Auckland via ferry.

Takapuna is reported as one of three places retaining Maori names. The literal translation of the name is Taka = knoll, Puna = spring.

The Takapuna Beach area is the nightlife hub and boutique shopping centre of the North Shore, having more than 60 bars, restaurants, and cafes and over 400 retail shops plus Takapuna is the home to the Bruce Mason Centre holding many cultural and theatrical events, home of Berkeley cinemas as well as a hub for business activities.

Torbay is an attractive seaside suburb on Auckland’s North Shore with about 13,500 residents. Torbay has a shopping village on Beach Road just above Long Bay, with several other restaurants and shops nearby. The village has a well-appointed medical centre and pharmacy and supporting health services.

Torbay is the main home to Long Bay Regional Park but also has two smaller beaches being Waiake and Winston’s Cove.

Parks and Playgrounds Albany Parks and Playgrounds Bluebird Reserve, Bluebird Crescent, Albany Bronzewing Reserve, Rifleman Rise, Bronzewing Terrace, Albany Bushlands Park, Albany Expressway, Albany Centorian Reserve, Centorian Place, Albany Collins Park, Greenhithe Rd, Albany Devonshire Reserve, Devonshire Road, Albany Exeter Reserve, Tyrico Close, Exeter Place, Devonshire Drive, Albany Fernhill Reserve, Medallion Drive, Albany Fields Reserve, Gleanor Ave, Albany George Deane Place Reserve, George Dean Place, Fernbank Lane, Albany Glen Bay Close, Albany Hooton Reserve, Oteha Valley Rd, Mills Lane, Albany Kell Park, Kell Rd, Georgia Terrace, SH 1, Albany Meadowood Reserve, Meadowood Drive, Albany Northwood Reserve, Rosedale Rd, Northwood Ave, Syracuse Place, Albany Parkwood Reserve, Graham Collins Drive, Albany Ponderosa Reserve, East Coast Rd, Albany Rosedale Park, Albany Schnapper Rock - Albany, Oakway Drive - An enticing playground with wooden stepping stones and a water play area with a large spiral hand-pump. A 7.5m spacenet and rope bridge plus a mini soccer pitch, tall swings and cycling humps Schopolo Playground - Albany, Schopolo Place - A spacenet, lookout, swings and slides and good views. Also a walkway from the playground, up the Te Wharau Creek and back to the Wainoni Park North playground Shelter Reserve, Shelter Drive, Albany Taroka Reserve, Taroka Close, Albany Unsworth Reserve, Unsworth Drive, Albany Wentworth Park, Albany Highway, Albany Wharf Reserve, Wharf Rd, Albany Birkenhead/Northcote Parks and Playgrounds Birkenhead War Memorial Park, Mahara Ave, Birkenhead/Northcote Cadness Loop, Cadness Street, Birkenhead/Northcote Heath Reserve, Heath Ave, Birkenhead/Northcote Hinemoa Park, Hinemoa St, Birkenhead/Northcote Inwards Reserve, Salisbury Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Island Bay Reserve, Island Bay Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Jean Simpson Reserve, Queen St, Birkenhead/Northcote Lenihan Reserve, Lake Rd, Birkenhead Lindisfarne, Lake Rd, Tonar Str, Birkenhead Little Shoal Bay, Maritime Terrace, Birkenhead/Northcote Nell Fisher Reserve, Birkenhead Neptune Avenue Reserve, Neptune Ave, Birkenhead/Northcote Portsea Reserve, Portsea Place, Chelsea View Drive, Birkenhead/Northcote Rotary Grove, Lake Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Shepherds Park, John Bracken Way, Beach Haven Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Stafford Park, Stafford Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Taurus Crescent Reserve, Taurus Crescent, Birkenhead/Northcote Tui Park, Gazelle Ave, Birkenhead/Northcote Vandeleur Reserve, Vandeleur Rd, Birkenhead/Northcote Castor Bay Parks and Playgrounds Castor Bay Reserve, Beach Rd, Castor Bay - The park has a nice playground for small children as well as easy beach access. Devonport Parks and Playgrounds Achilles Crescent Reserve, Achilles Crescent, Devonport Allenby Reserve, Allenby Avenue, Devonport Aramoana Reserve, Aramoana Avenue, Devonport Bath Street Reserve, Bath Street, Devonport Bayswater Park, Bayswater (King Edward) Ave, Rosyth Ave, Roberts Ave, Devonport Belmont Gardens, Alamein Ave, Devonport Devonport Domain, Cambridge Terrace, Devonport Devonport Park - Beside the library on the waterfront by the ferry terminal. Large reserve area with slides, swings and a large climbing area. Kawerau Reserve, Kawerau Ave, Devonport Kennedy Park (off Beach Rd, near Campbells Bay) - Kennedy Park has a great playground with interesting play equipment and a big park Kiwi Reserve, Kiwi Rd, Devonport Lansdowne Reserve, Lansdowne Rd, Devonport Melrose Reserve, Shoal Bay Rd, Devonport Montgomery Reserve, Wicklow Rd, Devonport Narrow Neck Beach, Wairoa Rd, Devonport Plymouth Reserve, Plymouth Crescent, Devonport Stanley Bay Park, Glen Rd, Devonport Wairoa Road Reserve, Devonport Windsor Reserve, Victoria Rd, Devonport East Coast Bays Parks and Playgrounds Bayside Drive, Bayside Drive, East Coast Bays Beach Reserves - Browns Bay, Valley Rd, East Coast Bays Beach Reserves - Mairangi Bay, Whitby Cres, East Coast Bays Beach Reserves - Murrays Bay, Torquay St, East Coast Bays Beach Reserves - Rothesay Bay, Masterton Rd, East Coast Bays Beach Reserves - Waiake Beach, Manly Esp, Churchill Rd, East Coast Bays Cairnbrae Reserve, Coast Rd, East Coast Bays Cranston Street Reserve, Cranston Rd, East Coast Bays Okura Reserve, Okura River Rd, East Coast Bays - With an excellent fast flying fox plus skate park with grind rails. There is also swings, a spinner, basketball, and netball hoops plus items for younger children Sherwood Reserve, Stapleford Crescent, Mistletoe Place, Walnut Lane, East Coast Bays Stredwick Reserve, Stredwick Dr, East Coast Bays Woodridge Reserve, Coast Rd, East Coast Bays Glenfield Parks and Playgrounds Camelot Reserve, Camelot Pl, Battle Pl, Glenfield Elliott Reserve, Elliott Ave, Glenfield Fernwood Grove, Fernwood Pl, Glenfield Glenfield/Hillcrest opposite McFetteridge Park soccer grounds, Glenfield Kaipatiki Park, Kaipatiki Rd, Manuka Rd, Segedin Pl, Waverley Ave, Glenfield Lancelot Reserve, Lancelot Pl, Neal Ave, Glenfield Linley Reserve, Mountbatten Ave, Lynley Pl, Hume Dr, Glenfield Locket Reserve, Bruce Rd, Locket Rd, Archers Rd, Glenfield Lynn Reserve, Lynn Rd, Eugen Place, Glenfield Manuka Reserve, Manuka Rd, Glenfield Marlborough Park, Chartwell Ave, Archers Rd, Glenfield Monarch Park, Mannering Pl, Moore St, Monarch Ave, McDonell Cr, Glenfield Normanton Park, Ashfield Rd, Glenfield - A wendy house, a Rocktopus, a large and safe bicycle track, swings and slides Northboro Reserve in Hauraki Corner, Takapuna - Flying fox, climbing frame, slides, basketball area and also a good place for bikes and scooters. Park Reserve, Park Rd, Roberts Rd, Glenfield Pemberton Reserve, Pemberton Drive, Glenfield Powrie Reserve, Powrie St, Sunward Rise, Glenfield Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Place, Glenfield Spinella Reserve, Spinella Drive, Glenfield Stanaway Reserve, Stanaway St, Sylvia Rd, Glenfield Tamahere Reserve, Tamahere Drive, Redfern Lane, Seaview Rd, Glenfield Windy Ridge Reserve, Windy Ridge Rd, Valley View Rd, Seaview Rd, Glenfield Greenhithe Parks and Playgrounds Durbin Reserve in Greenhithe Greenhithe War Memorial Park, Roland Rd, Greenhithe Wainoni Playground, Churchouse Rd, Greenhithe - Wainoni Park is set amongst acres of green grass with horses grazing across the paddock and a large cricket ground next door is Wainoni Park. The playground has kept the country-feel of the surrounds including an old tractor to climb on, a may-pole, swings, a slide and an interactive water feature Hibiscus Coast Parks and Playgrounds Stanmore Bay Park, Brightside Rd, Whangaparaoa - Beach fronts are great places for playgrounds and there is a large playground. With a unique lullaby swing Hobsonville Parks and Playgrounds Hobsonville Pt, Buckley Ave, Hobsonville - A "forest floor"-themed Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Kids-style playground with a mixture of classic play elements and unique "experiential" creative play structures such as an abstract fort, giant fantail nests and scaled-up seedpods. There is plenty to keep the kids interested Mairangi Bay Parks and Playgrounds Mairangi Bay Park - 5 minute walk to the beach at the back of the shops. This park is fully fenced and has slides, swings, playhut, good area to ride little bikes and scooters and close to shops Mairangi Bay Village Green, Sidmouth St, Beach Rd, East Coast Bays Milford Parks and Playgrounds Milford Beach Park, northern end of Craig Road in Milford - Slides, swings, monkey bars and a big reserve by the beach Northcote Parks and Playgrounds Onepoto Domain, Sylvan Ave, Northcote - A great playground for kids of all ages, swings, slides, flying fox. Also a great area for kids to ride scooters or bikes. A pond with ducks, a bicycle track and two playgrounds including a very long slide, a nature trail and a range of climbing frames Takapuna Parks and Playgrounds Belle Verde Reserve, Belle Verde Dr, Takapuna Bond Reserve, Bond Cres, Takapuna Celeste Reserve, Celeste Pl, Takapuna Greville Reserve, Christensen Pl, Takapuna Highgrove Reserve, Sunset Rd, Takapuna Huntly Road Reserve, Huntly Rd, Takapuna Knightsbridge Reserve, Knightsbridge Dr, Selwyn Crescent, Takapuna Leiden Reserve, Target Rd, Takapuna Linwood Reserve, Linwood Ave, Takapuna Nile Reserve, Nile Rd, Takapuna Northcroft Esplanade Reserve, Northcroft Lane, Takapuna Rewi Alley Reserve, Athena Dr, Takapuna Seine Reserve, Tiber Rd, Takapuna Selwyn Reserve, Selwyn Cres, Takapuna Sunnynook Park, Sunnynook Rd, Takapuna Takapuna Rose Gardens, Anzac Str, Lake Rd, Takapuna Target Reserve, Target Rd, Takapuna Teviot Reserve, Teviot Pl, Takapuna Totaravale Reserve, Totaravale Dr, Takapuna Wanita Reserve, Target Rd, Takapuna William Souter Reserve, William Souter St, Takapuna