A showdown over outdoor patios and parking spaces is brewing on Main Street Unionville and for safety reasons, Markham council could nix one or the other for good next week. The parking and patio are intertwined, Unionville Councillor Don Hamilton said. You cant have patios when cars are parked there. The problem of patios encroaching illegally onto interlocked parking spaces between the sidewalk and the road on the west side of Main Street Unionville has been around for a number of years, Mr. Hamilton said. He said there are typically only three businesses on the street that put patios out in the summer. Earlier this year, Markham discontinued boulevard patios for public safety reasons. On Monday, the towns general committee will vote on a staff recommendation to prohibit parking on the west side of the street at all times, except from 6 to 9 a.m. Monday to Friday. If passed, about 25 street parking spaces could be lost during peak business hours, Mr. Hamilton said, adding that many merchants on the street already feel there arent enough parking spaces on the east side of the street, behind the shops. If parking stays, Mr. Hamilton said there will be no point at Tuesdays council meeting in considering allowing outdoor patios during summer. According to a staff report, the parking prohibition is recommended to address safety concerns for pedestrians and patio users as well as concerns with obstructed sightlines for vehicles turning off and onto the street. The weekday morning parking allowance is to allow temporary parking during non-peak hours for customers attending the two existing coffee shops on the street. Markham council will also consider a proposed encroachment agreement to allow patios on the street over the summer and into the fall this year. Requirements proposed in the agreement include a $2-million liability insurance (naming the town as an additional insured party) and a submission of a detailed patio plan. Its proposed that smoking and amplified music not be permitted on the patios. Mr. Hamilton said he doesnt mind the patio or the parking either way. Im for safety and Im glad this has surfaced so we can address it, he said.

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Patio vs. parking debate in Unionville

The two parking spaces closest to the South Ends Wholy Grain cafe are just like thousands of others in Boston: patches of public asphalt hard against the curb, designated for vehicles. By this time next year, they could be a park.

City planners are refining a pilot program to turn parking spaces here and in three other neighborhoods into parklets - petite, three-season patios, with benches and planters atop platforms built flush with the sidewalk.

The program, boston.PARKLETS, follows the lead of San Francisco, which boasts 30 parklets, and New York, which unveiled the first of what it calls curbside seating platforms in 2010.

They are part of the growing movement to reclaim urban space for pedestrians and bicyclists and promote public transit. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has proclaimed the car is no longer king, citing the environmental, aesthetic, and health benefits.

It remains to be seen how willingly Bostonians, known for fiercely coveting and protecting their parking spots, receive the parklets.

Vineet Gupta, planning director for the Boston Transportation Department, said the city will work with merchants and neighbors to find appropriate spots, with the first parklets probably appearing next spring. They would scarcely put a dent in the citys 8,000 metered spaces and untold thousands of unmetered and resident-permit spots, but they would enliven areas with heavy foot traffic otherwise lacking in public amenities, he said.

The city will pay to design and install the first parklets, estimated to cost $12,000 each, while asking businesses, nonprofits, and civic associations to sponsor maintenance of plantings and furniture.

Wholy Grain owner Ken Hassett agreed to be the first partner, while the city is scouting sites in Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and Allston. Should the program grow, local businesses or groups would be asked to pay for installation as well as maintenance.

As a business owner, Hassett said he likes adding a colorful, informal swath of outdoor seating near Wholy Grain, tucked into the first floor of a classic brick rowhouse at Shawmut Avenue and Hanson Street. As a resident who lives a few paces away, he likes what it promises to do for pedestrian life.

Some of the people Ive spoken to so far were slightly hesitant about, Oh, were going to lose a parking space, Hassett said. But then they began to think about it and think what a novel idea it would be.

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Boston looks to transform parking spots into small parks

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Summer is here and that means its time to take advantage of as much outdoor time as possible before the cold creeps back in. The Detroit area offers a ton of summer entertainment and is home to a number of area bars that feature outdoor patios, frosty and fruity cocktails and spectacular views. These patios are a great way to enjoy a cool summer drink in the warm city sun while taking in amazing of the downtown skyline.

Photo Credit: 1917americanbistro.com

This newer Detroit bistro features traditional American cuisine with a touch of Italian flare at reasonable prices. The restaurants rooftop patio is popular with customers and occasionally features entertainment, including poetry nights. The ambiance inside is just as nice with a fabulous window view and gorgeous art gallery. 1917 American Bistro is also known for its friendly staf, quick service and awesome juice bar. For those who prefer non-alcoholicsummertime drinks, the juice bar provides delicious fruit blends for the perfect accompaniment to any Detroit sunset.

Photo Credit: motorcitybeer.com

Small and simple, this popular chalet-style brewery is known for its handcrafted, unfiltered, unpasteurized brews, all of which can be found on tap. Located in the heart of Detroits cultural center, beer isnt the only thing that keeps Motor City residents coming back. The brick-oven pizzas are a hit with visitors who can also munch on typical bar food as well as seasonal dishes. Another draw is the establishments rooftop patio with a fantastic view of the Midtown area. Every Wednesday, Motor City Brewing Works has a revolving art show featuring a different local artist each week, and the brewery also hosts weekly bike rides for some good, old-fashioned summertime fun. Make sure to check out the Summer Brew, a wheat beer that goes perfectly with a slice of orange, a great June to August drink.

Related:Best Outdoor Bars in Detroit

Photo Credit: Bookies Bar N Grille via Facebook

Bookies Bar & Grille is one of the areas best sports bars, and a great place to head before and after the big game. The restaurants party atmosphere and three levels of entertainment make it a popular hangout. Downstairs is a mob-themed bar and often features a live radio show, the hottest DJs and rocking live bands. The upstairs level is where the restaurant can be found, and features typical bar food like hamburgers, a variety of sandwiches and mouthwatering appetizers. But what makes this a truly great bar in the summertime, is Bookies rooftop patio; it has a great view of downtown, making it the perfect people-watching spot. Take advantage of the daily happy hour and game day specials to save a few bucks. Shuttle service is even available to the Detroit Tigers, Red Wings and Lions games during each of the seasons.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com

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Best Summertime Bars In Detroit

From NeighborhoodNotes.com: If there's one thing Portlanders know, it's that it's never too cloudy, rainy or cold to sit outside. That's why so many patios are built to stay open all year long. But sometimes the sun does shine, and when it does, you'll most likely find yourself soaking it in or relaxing beneath an umbrella while enjoying a cheeseburger, digging into a vegan rice bowl, or kicking back with a cup of joe or a nice, cold beer. Looking for such a place? Keep reading. Rontoms Prior to its public unveiling in the summer of 2011, the unused space behind this living room-style bar and music venue was nothing much to look at. Now, its one of the city's largest, most relaxing patios comprised of wooden decks and picnic tables, complete with long wooden benches that wrap around the patio's perimeter and (surprisingly comfortable) red plastic chairs. And if you'd rather not sit, you can always challenge your friend to a match at the Ping-Pong table. Forecast: The entire space, inside and out, is licensed to hold up to 550 people and about 70 percent of the seating is out back, so you should never have trouble finding a table. SPF: The space near the patio's outdoor bar (only open on weekends) is covered, but the rest of the patio is exposed to the rain and sun. But since the bar opens at 4:30 p.m., the sunlight is of the late-afternoon and setting-sun variety. Advisory: Smoking is permitted, but dogs and kids are not. In fact, you must be at least 21 years old to enter. Also, the very narrow inside path near the bar leading to the back patio is often crowded with bodies waiting for a drink. So be patient and polite when making your way to the patio. Barometer: Vegetarians will enjoy the grilled cheese and tomato soup, while carnivores will like the hamburger topped with seasonal ingredients. And while Rontoms has no specialty cocktail menu, it does have a full bar and a staff of knowledgeable people tending it. Rontoms, 600 E Burnside St., 503.236.4536 READ THE REST at NeighborhoodNotes.com

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6 (more) Portland patios for soaking up fresh air, sunlight, food and drink

No restaurant meal quite matches the tenor of spring and summer like al fresco brunch. Usually a little fancier and more expensive than breakfast, it also should be lazier and with less agenda. Dining outdoors just feels less formal. And theres implicit permission to imbibe, no matter how early.

Inspired by the season, I sought out regular restaurants that serve brunch every weekend which meant not just the ones that hit the big holidays. Daily breakfast places werent in the mix, either. A patio was a requirement, and was often the star. Here are four of my Boise patio brunch favorites:

DOWNTOWN AT THE MARKET

RED FEATHER LOUNGE 246 N. 8th St., Boise, 429-6340 Brunch: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Brunch is not just breakfast with booze here. Red Feather serves the harder-to-find Saturday brunch as well as Sunday, the cocktails are of high design, and the menu is no obligatory punch list of morning standards. This is the place to go with friends to start your birthday or the morning after a great rock concert.

On Saturdays, the petite, umbrellaed patio is flush with the noisy pulse of the Capital City Public Market. Our dining group drank down sweet heirloom tomato Bloody Marys ($4 small/$9 large) and a carafe of mimosas ($6.50). A few feet away, a busker played Oasis Wonderwall twice in a row. Moments later, a man in a Superman costume strutted through the crowd on stilts.

Like the rest of the Red Feather menu, brunch is aimed locally and will satisfy the foodie with items like duck eggs with spicy braised kale and goat cheese ($8). But the food is not too proud to please broader palates. The pancetta-duck egg pizza ($11) is outstanding to share the yolks become a sauce, and the crust itself is only a breath or two away from the best pizza in town at Casanova or Tonys. Like a western incarnation of fried chicken and waffles, the crackling chicken on a biscuit ($9) is matched with incredibly rich cream gravy and a hidden layer of sweetness. One item in particular is a revelation. The oatmeal souffl ($5) is part buttery oatmeal cookie, part pillowy custard, and will change the way you think of sweet breakfast food.

Small details are attended well. For a dish like the grapefruit brulee ($2), with a torched pane of sugar, the challenge is to keep the fruit cold and it was. And out on the patio, in the cool building shadow at high noon, our server overheard two guests at the next table say they were a bit chilly. Without a word, he returned with fleece blankets.

BUFFET-STYLE

MURPHYS SEAFOOD & STEAKHOUSE 1555 Broadway Ave., Boise, 344-3691 Brunch: 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Sunday

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Brunch on Boise's patios

When the tomatoes are planted, old daffodil foliage is cut back and the beds are weeded and mulched, it's time to add the final touch -- tropicals that give your porches and patios a little island mystique.

And, since tropicals typically come in basic plastic pots that can be slipped into boldly colored ceramic pots, they can instantly turn any outdoor space into a party place. String a few lights, light some tiki torches and your decor needs nothing but Jimmy Buffet music and some good eats.

If you're really in a generous mood, let each of your guests take a tropical home.

In cold climates, tropicals are good for one season only, unless you have the patience to try to over-winter them indoors or in a temperate garage.

Too many people take home a tropical hibiscus, thinking they can put it in the ground and enjoy it year after year. Left outdoors, those hibiscus die when the first hard frost occurs in October or November.

If you remove a tropical from its plastic pot and plant it in a decorative container, make sure the pot has ample drainage holes. Use only good potting soil, not garden soil, which is too heavy. Fill the new pot with one-third potting soil. Remove the tropical from its container and tease or loosen any matted, circling roots. Place it in the new pot and fill in with more potting soil. Water thoroughly. If the potting soil settles, add more soil and water again.

Tropicals are heavy feeders, so regular fertilization with a water-soluble food meant for flowering plants or a time-released granule mixed into the potting soil keeps the plants blooming. Some potting soils have fertilizer already mixed into them, but they are often only good for a few weeks.

During hot summer days, potted plants need daily, sometimes twice daily, watering because the soil heats up and dries out quickly.

Here's a glimpse at some of the new sun-loving tropicals you'll find from companies such as Monrovia ( http://www.monrovia.com ) and Hines ( http://www.hineshort.com ). Monrovia is found at independent garden centers; Hines is available at garden centers and stores such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

Mandevilla Bride's Cascade: These summer-long flowering vines come in all colors, including a new white one called Bride's Cascade. The vigorous plant, which grows 15 feet long, needs a strong support system, including a fence, trellis or arbor.

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Colorful tropical plants add a bit of island mystique

Durham has a patio problem. To be more specific, it has a problem with a portion of the city ordinance that allows people to drink alcohol on restaurant and bar patios that are on public sidewalks. That portion of the ordinance doesn't exist.

At a public forum last week, city officials introduced a potential solutionan amendment to the ordinance that authorizes businesses to set up tables, chairs and other seating on public sidewalks. Under the new rules, businesses that successfully apply for an outdoor dining permit could legally serve patrons who want to enjoy their booze outdoors.

However, the change is controversial because it applies only to restaurants, not private clubs.

Restaurants are defined by the state Alcohol Beverage Commission as a business that generates at least 30 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages. Businesses that don't sell food but do sell alcoholic beverages are required to obtain a "private club" liquor permit.

In Durham, 33 businesses have active "private club" permits. If City Council approves the current draft of the amendment, these private clubs with patios that extend onto the public sidewalk won't be allowed to apply for an outdoor dining permit.

City Attorney Patrick Baker, who led last week's presentation of the proposed outdoor patio ordinance, said that the decision to exclude private clubs is due to the Durham Police Department concerns about potential problems with the combination of private clubs, alcohol and outdoor seating. A DPD spokesperson did not return calls seeking the specifics of the department's concerns. But at DPD's urging, and with the approval of Durham City Manager Thomas Bonfield, city staff will present the current version of the amended ordinance to City Council sometime in July, Baker said.

Even though downtown bar and restaurant customers have routinely imbibed on outdoor patios, those businesses technically have been breaking the law, Baker said. Until the recent uptick in downtown development, an outdoor dining permit was unnecessary. Now, the advent of restaurants with patios, including Toast, Dos Perros and Bull City Burger and Brewery, has prompted the city to revamp the ordinance.

Scott Ritchie, co-owner of Whiskey in downtown Durham, says he thinks the ordinance will actually discourage downtown development. "Personally, it makes me not want to reinvest in Durham, especially when I know that I can go 30 minutes east to Raleigh and not have a problem," he says.

In warm weather, a significant amount of the Whiskey's business is generated by patrons who prefer to drink on the front patio. By not accommodating Durham's private clubs and bars, the city is denying it and other bars significant revenue, Ritchie says.

Private clubs aren't the only businesses that will be excluded. Bars on Ninth Street with sidewalk patios would also be affected because the proposed ordinance applies only to those that are located on streets owned by the City of Durham. Any business located on a street owned by the state, such as Ninth Street, Baker said, will also be excluded from applying for an outdoor dining permit.

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In Durham, a controversy over outdoor drinking

In the summer time, when the suns temperature is it at its highest, it is essential that there are adequate areas of shade provided around the home`s exterior that will allow for some protection from the suns rays.

Small terraces and patios may benefit from a simple sun parasol, but the majority of homes will require much larger areas of shade to be provided that can accommodate seating areas to allow for alfresco eating with friends and family..

Increasing in popularity, one of the easiest ways to introduce shade around your home is to install sun awnings or patio awnings. With the increase in the awareness of skin diseases from over exposure to the harmful effects of the suns uv rays, it is no wonder homeowners are looking at ways of protecting their families health.

Sun awnings are ideal for home installations as the take up no space on the ground. They are fixed to the wall above head height and when not in use and are barely even noticeable. When the weather dictates, the awning can be easily retracted to provide as much or as little shade is necessary. For hotter climates or where the awning will be used frequently, electric sun awnings are normally specified. For only occasional use, a manually operated sun awning is generally more than adequate.

Sun awnings can be fully customised at the time of ordering. With endless fabric designs to choose from in a wide range of bespoke sizes, there are patio awnings available to meet any shading application. Awnings are such a versatile product that they can be installed into many locations including patios over windows and doorways etc.

Domestic sun awnings tend to fall into 3 categories

The cheapest form of awnings are open cassette awnings. This style is basic in that the fabric roll and mechanism is still visible when the awning is retracted. This means that an open cassette awning is not really suited to being left out over the winter months as the rain and frost can start to rot the fabric over a period of time.

Semi cassette awnings are slightly better at dealing with being left out for prolonged periods. Although still slightly exposed to the elements when closed, the awning fabric is at least protected from the elements.

The premium type of sun awning is the full cassette awning. The full cassette completely covers both the awning fabric and retractable arms from the elements and from view when not in use. Also because the cassette provides protection against the weather, a full cassette awning is ideal for automation using remote controls or wall switches. Full cassette awnings can be left out throughout the year.

You can also now buy sun awnings direct from many online retailers that will be delivered to your door. So why wait, invest now.

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The Benefits of Patio Sun Awnings

LOVELAND -- The owner of Terazas Not Just Gyros says the patio seating in front of her downtown restaurant is "absolutely" important to her business.

The city wants to encourage such open-air dining by allowing businesses to encroach on sidewalk rights of way, but it's taking steps to maintain high standards.

"It really does liven up our downtown," said Bethany Clark, a planning technician with the city's Community and Strategic Planning Division. "We just want to make sure they are done in an appropriate way."

So city departments have been working since last fall on a set of design guidelines to govern the way downtown businesses use the city right of way.

The intent, Clark said, is to ensure that quality materials are used that are compatible with the character of downtown and that pedestrians still have enough room to safely navigate the sidewalks.

The guidelines, still in draft form, were presented to the Loveland Downtown Team at its meeting Tuesday morning. Clark asked members of the team - city employees and council members, downtown business owners and other residents - for feedback on the rules and advice on seeking feedback from businesses.

The city plans to launch an outreach effort to residents and business owners before any guidelines become permanent. No City Council action will be required for adoption.

Clark said the city isn't planning to approach any of the handful of downtown establishments that already have semi-permanent sidewalk enclosures in place, unless they didn't obtain the building permit that always has been required before installing a structure.

The new guidelines will retain that requirement for a permit, and if adopted, they will add specific stipulations for the encroachment.

A few of the details:

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City of Loveland drafts guidelines for sidewalk patios

It is a rite of passage: Each spring, students begin internships, start waiting tables on patios or knock on doors for work as painters or landscapers.

No doubt, landing those jobs got more difficult through the recession and have stayed tough since. Last summer, the average number of hours worked at all student jobs was among the lowest since data-keeping began in 1977.

A first indication of this season's hiring activity will come on Friday, when Statistics Canada releases its summer labour market for students in tandem with its labour force survey.

It's shaping up to be a summer of discontent for many young people as Quebec's demonstrations show.

Not only is it is more difficult to find well-paying jobs, but also tuition costs are outpacing inflation and student debt is ballooning.

Nearly a million young Canadians were neither in school nor holding down a job last year, a Statistics Canada study found last week for reasons ranging from having babies to being on sick leave, doing volunteer work or feeling too discouraged to look for work.

The survey found that 13 per cent of the nearly seven million Canadians between the ages of 15 and 29 weren't in school nor at work last year.

Last year, the jobless rate in May for students in their early twenties was 15 per cent, an improvement from 2010's 16.5 per cent.

For the whole summer of 2011, among all students the unemployment rate was 17.2 per cent higher than the previous year and above 2006 to 2008 levels.

Statscan tracks the job market for students from May to August, for people aged 15 to 24 (who must have been attending school, full time, in March and plan to return to school in the fall).

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Summer of discontent shaping up for students