I cannot answer the NY question, but we priced out and nearly pulled the trigger on our back yard being done in turf. For us, it was a matter of a few issues. 1-rainfall or lack thereof was necessitating a hefty water bill just to water the grass. 2. Because of tree growth over the years, there were several areas that simply would NOT grow any longer, no matter what kind of seed/sod we put down. With our large yard, it was going to be about 14K to put down the turf. THe company we chose did NOT use the rubber tire fill. I am now forgetting what it was they used instead. This was several years ago and we failed to pull the trigger as my DH was laid off 2 days before we were to sign the contract. We are now planning a new remodel, so i'm thankful we didn't do it, but in the new plan, a small portion of the yard will be turf. One area that will be surrounded and up steps, so not ideal for getting a sprinkler system set up nor ideal for a mower. Another area that is shaded 99% of the day and hasn't grown grass in decades. In a drought ridden area, I feel the water savings outweighs the other potential issues with the turf. I know in my area, there are rebates available for replacing turf with artificial turf through the water company, but in areas where rainfall is plentiful, I doubt these are offered.

Hi H202- I just found this post and see it's 4 years old, but we also live in DC and have the same exact predicament you did! Did you end up figuring it out? We would love to know if so. We are currently looking for driveable / parkable artificial turf for part-time parking and part-time playing w our toddlers. Any recs on materials or contractors you used would be very much appreciated!

I have experience with artificial turf, but not with cars on it. I would bet actual money that it won't take the beating turning car tires would give it. I would not make this trade. Instead, I would look at things you can do to "improve" the appearance of concrete. (Where are you located?) There are many coatings available that could dress it up so it looked better when you are entertaining. For the boy, I would buy toys that excel on concrete ... pretty much anything wheeled. He needs a sandbox in the corner, too. I don't think he'd miss grass at all.

Have you considered using a gravel binder / permeable resin on the gravel option? You would then be able to walk on, leaf blow, scrub, etc the gravel without it going anywhere. I've walked on pathways like this before at a local arboretum. It seemed suprisingly stable, and attractive. The gravel didn't look like it was coated with anything at all. Individual stones were rounded and roughly .5" / 1 cm in longest dimension. I imagine there was some kind of foundation / compacted base layer beneath rounded gravel top providing structural stability. Full disclosure, I have zero knowledge of the cost, difficulty of installation, or maintenance involved with using said product. I've only seen it used and thought it neat! With turf, I'd be concerned about the oak tannins from acorns and leaves staining it over time. This would be less noticeable, perhaps even desirable, on a darker coloured rock. UV degradation will also occur (eventually) and cause further discoloration on the turf. I feel like rock is the classier, timeless albeit likely more expensive option.