Landscaper Jim Antonelli says there are two types of Michiganders when it comes to home improvements meant to increase summer fun.

One kind thinks Michigan summers are too short to invest any real money in outdoor pleasures. The other Antonellis best customers say summer is too short and should be savored, so brick patios, new pavers and improving outdoor spaces are worthy investments.

One recent customer, a Washington Township homeowner, spent $65,000 to replace the cement around his swimming pool with brick pavers. Antonelli, who owns Antonelli Landscape (www.antonellilandscape.com ) in Bloomfield Hills and Washington Township, included a natural-burning wall fireplace with woodboxes and surrounding seat walls, plus a Brussels Dimensional cascade water feature. The 2,000-square-foot area took about 2 weeks to finish.

This labor-intensive job wasnt your average brick patio installation, including columns leading to the fireplace area and a 30-degree herringbone design in the brick. The keystone accents in the patio mirror the house design.

Weve created a unique outdoor living space, Antonelli said. Low-voltage Vista lights were placed in steps, columns and walls to accent features and illuminate the area.

Antonelli said there are many benefits to paver patios, starting with the appearance.

The options are limitless, he said. Durability is a benefit, and if there are issues, he said, brick pavers are easier to repair than concrete. Finally, there is the low-maintenance aspect. People are tired of the constant maintenance of decks, he said.

Debbie Cvengros of Rochester Hills said she chose to replace her wood deck with a brick patio. She said the need to strip, stain and power wash the deck over the years became cumbersome. She used Sherwood Forest of Oakland Township (www.sherwoodforestgardencenter.com) to build an elevated brick patio with materials from Haley Stone in Rochester Hills (www.haleystone.net).

In just nine days, the old deck was demolished and a new patio stood in its place. Sherwood Forest used four yards of slag to elevate the new patio about a foot. The elevation makes it feel like a deck, rather than a patio, she said.

Cvengros selected the tumble brick that was used, and an accent border was added to complement the brick house.

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Cool spaces: Brick patios and pavers can accent a backyard, offer durability

Billy and the Patios (A.k.a. the Roulettes) - Love Is A Story (LITE 9002)

By: Gael karamazout

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Billy and the Patios (A.k.a. the Roulettes) - Love Is A Story (LITE 9002) - Video

Proficient Patios

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LA GONORREA DE LOS PATIOS MARIO PEARANDA

By: carlos torrez

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ESTE ES EL ULTIMO DIA EN LOS PATIOS DEL COLEGIO JUGANDO
LA PASAMOS MUY CHEVERE LAS KIERO UN MUNDO.

By: mishell gordita

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PATIOS ABIERTOS
PATIOS ABIERTOS " LA NUEVA GENERACIN" EES 10 - LA COSTA 2012.

By: ESCUELA SECUNDARIA DIEZ LA COSTA

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Aside from the beach, theres no place Id rather spend my summer leisure time than parked on a patio with a few friends, a chilled pint of seasonal beeror a tangy glass of red sangria...or a minty mojito (sorry, bartenders)...or a zesty margarita...or even a glass of fresh-brewed iced teain hand.

Unfortunately, not all urban oases are created equal, and while Im not here to bash the ones that have fallen into my ill favor, I feel that its my civic duty to enlighten your senses by sharing a few of my favorite outdoor spaces for enjoyment during the warmer months. Emphasis on "a few": Boston is chock-full of fantastic patios and roofdecks that are ripe for the picking, libations or not, and depending on your preferences, you might agree or disagree with my picks. But these are the spots that have served me well consistently over the years, and which immediately come to mind when someone asks for a recommendation.

So, please, sit back, enjoy and explore accordingly. Just dont be that guy who needlessly hogs the last remaining beneath-the-umbrella chair with his gym bag. (You know who you are.)

Update: A kind friend alerted me of two erroneous omissions after my initial posting. The additions are included after the jump.

The Middle East 472 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square Save for a few seasonal umbrellas, the Middle East patio is about as bare bones as you can getits you, the sidewalk, and a piece of tarp used to corral the dozen or so tables that line a small section of Mass Avenueand maybe thats why I like it so much. Eats are cheap, with the average entree costing just $7, and beer is served by the glass or pitcher. Its the perfect place to fuel up before a late night, or to linger on the weekend while the rest of the city sits on traffic en route to the beach.

The Boston Public Library courtyard 700 Boylston Street, Copley Square

Yes, this exists in your backyard. Now, go! (Credit: Karyn Polewaczyk)

The courtyard at the BPL isn't so much a patio as it is a public space for enjoyment by all, but no matter: it's absolutely stunning. If you've lived in the city for awhile and haven't yet been, shame on youand visit, immediately, on your next day off, be it weekday (when you're most likely to secure a table amidst the lush greenery and marble walkways) or weekend (beware of tourists). Pack a picnic and call it a date. And did I mention there's free WiFi? Yeah, the library rocks.

Alibi Bar at the Liberty Hotel 215 Charles Street, Beacon Hill If I've got out of town guests visiting who want a taste of Boston plus a little something extra, I'll take them to Alibi. Yes, the patio gets full quickly, and yes, the wait for a drink can take a few extra minutes longer than one might like on a Saturday night. But the scene is swank, the furniture is cushy, the pour is generousand the Liberty, location-wise, is convenient, no matter where you're coming from (or going to come closing time).

Andala Caf 286 Franklin Street, Central Square

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Urban Oases: My Favorite Patios in the City

For a minute, I cant concentrate on my plate. Despite the delicious duck confit and a strawberry lemonade cocktail, all I can do is stare out at the view.

I never paid attention to how the tiny pieces of North Kansas City and Briarcliff fit so perfectly into the Kansas City skyline like a panoramic puzzle. Busy but quiet, city and suburban. I can see it all from the Trezo Mare patio.

And the sun has arrived. Summer finally won the weather war. We might not have beaches in our beautiful city, but we have pools and patios. Fun in the sun with a drink and some appetizers? This is how we do it.

Even food trucks like the Local Pig have a picnic table patio. Did you see the parklet in front of YJs in the Crossroads on First Friday? A parking space became a shabby-chic patio (expect to see it all summer).

So on a Saturday, Im with my girlfriends at Trezo Mare in Briarcliff, where there are plenty of outdoor tables and a view that makes you want to raise your glass of sangria and give a toast to the city. And suddenly I understand why the coasts take patio life a step further in the summer.

In places like D.C. and L.A., its the season of the day party. People dont wait until late night to have a little fun. They take advantage of the sun and throw parties on rooftop lounges and bar patios. Its all about DJs, happy hours and summer dresses.

Day parties havent taken over KC patios just yet, but we have all of the potential. From the Waldo Well and Sol Cantina in midtown to Westside Local and Johns Upper Deck downtown to La Bodega in Leawood, we have all kinds of options.

Here are some favorites, old and new, to get the outdoor party started right:

The First Friday Patio

Theres nothing like Kansas Citys monthly art crawl in the summer. The weather is right for gallery hopping and people watching. And if you can find a place to grab a bite and a drink before the festivities, its even better.

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Jeneé Osterheldt raises a glass to the best patios around town

You might think nothings as straightforward as enjoying good eats in the sunshine or beer under the stars, but as weve shown in several posts on the location of sidewalk cafes, there are complex regulations and touchy politics involved in the citys al fresco scene.

We wont be serving so much debate this time, though; instead, were more in clarification mode. Some commenters were confused by the difference between sidewalk cafes and patios. Were clearing that up right now, and well be throwing in a handy map of last seasons patio locations, to boot.

One likely source of confusion is the fact that waiters often ask patrons to dine on the patio, but then direct people to seats on the sidewalk. Regardless, there is a difference and its one that matters.

In Chicago, when you dine at a sidewalk cafe, youre dining on public property (the sidewalk), but patios are located on private property. Patios allow restaurants and taverns to better control the outdoor dining experience. They can also use space that would otherwise go to waste: rooftops, backyards or areas that abut parking lots. The sidewalk cafes? Yes, they can be customized, but only so much.

So where are they?

After breaking down city data, we learned that in 2012, there were 593 active patio licenses, 412 of which operated in the summer.

That means there are far fewer patios than sidewalk cafes (again, heres the map for the latter), but patios are (slightly) more evenly distributed across the city. The South Side, for example, has almost no sidewalk cafes, but it has slightly more patios, many of which are within closed areas. Theres a cluster of patios at five businesses at 11th Street between Pulaski Road and Kedzie Avenue. Theres a similar story to tell on the citys Northwest Side.

Chicago ordinances govern both patios and cafes, specifically their hours and seasons of operation. However, when it comes to patios, the regulations seem to only apply if the business is serving alcohol.

Theres a reason for that, but prepare yourself for the logic. According to Jennifer Lipford, spokesperson for the citys Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, city liquor licenses apply only to enclosed spaces, but the patio license is effectively an add-on. In other words, any business that serves booze must pay nearly $2,000 every two years to serve alcohol to their patrons during nice weather.

Which maybe explains why the patio license was formerly called a beer garden license. Today the license restricts hours of operation, requiring establishments to close patios at 11 p.m. on weekdays and 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays. Unlike sidewalk cafes, theres no limit on which seasons a patio can be open, though there are probably few Chicagoans willing to dine outdoors in January.

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Where are Chicago’s outdoor patios?

Nacho con los pibes de patios matando el frio

By: Maxy Braile Monasterio

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