I agree with Rosie. I would put up a fence along the side, and clear out what appears to be an overgrown shrub border. Then plant grass there, that will give the kids some place to play in the short run. Also give that part of your yard privacy. If you don't want a fence, plant an evergreen hedge of arborvitae or yew. One of my good friends tore out a lovely concrete block patio recently. It looked nice, but she said it wasn't pitched properly, so it flooded, and the blocks were uneven and her kids/toddlers were always tripping and falling on it. They replaced it with pea gravel! She said they love it, and they have made it into an outdoor play area for the kids. I tore off the huge, very nice deck that was attached to the back of my house. Like you, at first I though, how nice, I'll bet I will be out there all the time. That was in the winter when I bought the house. But in the summer I hated to be out there. It had southern exposure so was hot as blazes, I had a hard time getting plants to grow in the porchboxes, constantly looking at the railings made me feel like I was in jail, and I was up above the whole row house block when I was out there putting on a show for everyone. My friend once said, "All you need is a steering wheel out here and you can be Captain of the Neighborhood." The view was the tops of cars, roofs and my neighbors heads. I bit the bullet, put an add in the paper for anyone who wanted to tear out the deck to buy it, and installed a ground level patio. I have loved it. It's too bad though, I have total patio envy of you. That's why I'd make it a priority to put up a fence and clear out that area along the sidewalk. You may feel differently about the patio then. Also, you won't regret having that fence! But by all means, if it's not working for you, redo. I just wouldn't make it a priority due to maybe having limited funds and wanting to do what is most important first. If it aint broke, maybe don't fix it before other more important fixes. Here's what I did to my yard. Deck before, a hodgepodge: Patio after, a pleasant place to enjoy the view of the GARDEN: And here it is today, my secluded oasis in the middle of the city: The folks I bought the house from must have been kinda disappointed since they put in the deck and I'm sure it was a lot of work, and apparently they enjoyed it. But it didn't fit in with my desired use of that space. Same goes for you, even though it may be dramatic, you'll be happier in the long run with a yard that is designed for what you want to do with it. However, I would caution you to think long and hard about what you really want in the long run. Too many yard landscapes are not planned for the long run, just what the homeowners want today. It's expensive to keep ripping out stuff and redoing, albeit sometimes fun, lol!

I would also consider a 2-level approach or something similar that lets you make the transition to ground seem more gradual. There is also the idea that you may find you want to do a good deal of grilling the food outside, then eat inside, because well, it is just so convenient and you can grill under less ideal circumstances than required for outdoor dining. The utilitarian steps down to patio just to get to the grill will be a barrier to that. The problem with same level is that you have to use decking, then it does tend to force you to a large deck, then a large area underneath it plus lattice or whatever, plus maintenance--though new deck materials as you suggest make that less of an issue. So I do not want to discourage you from thinking about having a "stone" patio that is part of the yard. I think over time that area could be very nice and will feel more permanent--properly landscaped. So the deck idea gives a more immediate sense of its being just an extension of your kitchen and feeling like a "room", but the patio has the ability to feel "in the yard", as noted above. The problem with bi-level structures is you have to design carefully so that neither part is too small to be useful or it breaks up your party in the wrong way. So, for example, if you envision 6 guys or gals yakking around the grill, you want room for that in your design. I think the deck landing as shown in your picture has that dreaded ubiquitous tacked-on landing look that just gets you up and down, and if you do actually make just steps, I would try to put more into their design to make a more graceful descent to the yard--whether that is broader, curved, or something. Of course that might be too expensive, so part of the fun of the forum is that we can brainstorm about how you might spend your $$! Really, just giving you things to think about. Broad steps or more gradual transition type structures can also often be used as seating/dining (for kids) as long as is wide enough. You don't show anything about the exposure of the back of the house, sun patterns, etc, so any design needs to think ahead to whether you will plant trees for shade, use umbrellas, arbor, or what--meaning, leave space in yard, or plan layout of space.

One of the low-growing Sedums/stonecrops might be good for this purpose. It is fairly slug-resistant. Many types will be fine in your clay soil fill, and many will do well in afternoon sun. Gold Moss sedum (Sedum acre "Aureum") might work well for you as it is very low-growing and will tolerate moderate foot traffic and full sun. Likes a dry soil, and likely will be evergreen for you in Zone 7. We have Wild stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), which is a U.S. native in our rocky areas, but this stonecrop does better with some shade. Some sedums can get slippery if stepped on directly if they are tall/long, so if you go with a sedum, be sure that it's a very compact, low-growing one that will not send out long shoots over the pavers. See the link below for a fabulous sedum/stonecrop general website that has photos of many, many varieties of sedum. It's the one plant I can think of right now that is slug-resistant, tolerates afternoon sun and clay soil, is low-growing, foot-traffic tolerant, and disease and pest resistant. You wouldn't have to water it excessively so that's always a plus too. Here is a link that might be useful: Sedum Photo gallery

I should be applying joint compound but I have never done this so I am hesitant . The grill is gas or charcoal? HUbby says he will never drip grease and he does. When we redid the patio in NJ I boxed in the gas grill with 1 and a quarter inch stone .PEa gravel gets kicked whereas the bigger stone laid placed. Husband hated the idea in laying the large stone where the gas grill was . There was no disruption to the pavers when I needed to replace the unit and no stones were ever kicked from around the grill. I added the stones cause I did not have the money to replace the grill . Do telephone "call before you dig" before even sketching a design. I did see the link . I think you have a very beautiful home with a nice sized yard. The patio will be a welcomed retreat. Think about your view from the deck. Most flowering plants need sun but hostas tolerate shade and give off a nice bloom . The hedges along the split rail have a border plant? Think about the entire yard not just the patio space. Think not as one looking in at the home but what you will view sitting. You do not need to spend a fortune. You can also do this in stages. Grass and plants absorb water................ will the pavers cause an irrigation issue. Will you lay the pavers up to the home? Will you have a garden and then the pavers. I bought a home where the previous owner used the garage wall to hold the topsoil. I removed the topsoil and installed colored stones and urns along this 18 foot section. I have a floral garden and herbs in some of the urns. I do not need to weed or mow this area. Just think about function and see what ideas you find on the internet. Houzz has great photos too. Have fun. Joint compound is calling me.