You can make a party in the city just by hanging out on the stoop. But what if you don't have a stoop? Maybe you're lucky enough to actually have a city garden? Here are 10 great spaces on the east and west coasts to socialize with the folks on the block. Please, BYOB:
Above: Architect Kim Hoyt created a lush and leafy backyard retreat in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood, with plenty of seating for a crowd. For more, see Before & After: A Brooklyn Townhouse with a Double-Wide Garden. Photograph by Dan Wonderly.
Above: Also in Brooklyn, a townhouse garden designed by dlandstudio capitalizes on a soaring, weathered-brick wall. Pea gravel adds an appealing crunch underfoot. We source the elements in Steal This Look: Midcentury Mod Townhouse Garden in Brooklyn.
Above: In Brooklyn's Park Slope, Kim Hoyt designed an airy steel structure that supports a deck, a massive wisteria vine, and steps that lead to the courtyard garden below. For more, see The Garden Designer Is In: Kim Hoyt Architecture/Landscape. Photograph by Dan Wonderly.
Above: Outdoor space is even tighter in Manhattan, but the residents have learned to make do. This terrace in Harlem is tailor-made for cocktail parties. Read more in Garden Visit: 66 Square Feet (Plus) on a Harlem Terrace. Photograph by Marie Viljoen.
Above: Down in Manhattan's West Village, the space in a modest yard is maximized for family use and entertaining. Note how the espaliered shrubs turn the fence into a focal point. For more, see Landscape Architect Visit: A Lush NYC Backyard by Robin Key.
Above: In Brooklyn, landscape designer Susan Welti of Foras Studio created this low-maintenance scheme with its handsome symmetrical beds. To navigate that crushed bluestone, best to wear sneakers—or maybe just flipflops. Read more in Steal This Look: Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget.
Above: Heading to the West Coast, we find bluestone pavers instead of grass at a San Francisco property. If you're worried about the ivy trashing the building (an artist's studio), don't: It's growing on a wire frame. Get the details at Landscape Architect Visit: Scott Lewis Turns A Small SF Backyard Into an Urban Oasis.
Above: This San Francisco backyard was transformed by Arterra Landscape Architects with a pleasing mix of stone, steel balls, and soft grasses. Find this and other alfresco party spaces in Architects' Roundup: Our Favorite Outdoor Living Rooms. Photograph by Michele Lee Willson Photography.
Above: To make the most of a .2-acre backyard in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, Lutsko Associates divided it into three distinct spaces separated by shrubbery and a translucent glass wall, and kept the color palette at green, gray, and white. Read more at Pacific Heights Mystery: A Hidden City Garden Reveals Its Secrets. Photograph via Contemporist.
Above: Party in the back! An LA patio is ready to get down, with the simple addition of bright cushions and lights in the trees. Find out where to buy those chairs, that crazy "bullet" planter, and more in Steal This Look: A Mod LA Patio with Twinkly String Lights. Now, do we have enough ice?
Mandatory: Before the sun goes down, have some Cafe-Style Outdoor String Lights in place. And you might want something to keep drinks close at hand: 5 Favorites: Outdoor Bars, DIY Included. All set now?
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