Live in Northeast Ohio. Want to start coming up with ideas for some hardscape in my backyard but have a few obstacles and would love other's suggestions.

Goals: have an area where I can put a grill/grill out; & another area where I can have a table and 4 chairs to sit outside weather permitting. I am considering the possibility of a (small) gazebo vs umbrella over the table/chair area. I still want enough grass area to put a blanket down; throw a ball around with kids, have a small summer garden, let a dog run around a little, etc.

Obstacles:

1. Yard is sloped/not flat - so likely need a small retaining wall.

Not interested in a deck - At the sliders, I am 7 feet elevated above my backyard neighbors (so I can easily see over the fence into their yard and therefore don't want a deck/be elevated). The closer I am to the ground, the more privacy I will have.

2. There's a drainage easement (Backyard is a total of 50 feet from the back of the house to the fence; The 1st 20 feet from the house towards the fence is not easement; The remaining 30 feet is drainage easement (hence all the river rock in the back of the property).

3. The builder was horrible/didn't discuss mechanicals/placement - so on one side of the back of the house, there are 3 PVC pipes/vents coming out of the wall onto the backyard (Hot water tank pipe, dryer vent, and furnace pipes). This is the biggest obstacle I have. Can I have any outdoor living space here safely? How?

4. On the other side of the house/steps (where there are no mechanicals coming out of the house), my neighbor built a retaining wall where his shed is - so when he stands in that area of his property, he can easily see over both our fences and into our yard.

Only ideas I came up with are the following:

1. I was looking at thermal bluestone vs stamped concrete.

2. I would remove temporary wooden steps by sliders and have a half circle shape steps leading down into the backyard (so you can enter/exit the house/yard from any direction); Thought the patio area could go and spread out onto both sides of the house (not just one);

3. ??Plant some kind of evergreen near the fence to help with privacy with neighbor who has the retaining wall with his shed.

Would love more ideas/suggestions!!

I'll attach photos of the yard/house.