The last time I looked for an apartment that had an outdoor space, my potential listings dropped from 15 to one. Space to roam in NYC apartments isn’t easy to find, let alone extra space outside. So sometimes, you have to figure something out. With quarantine keeping us from gathering outside, you’ve got to get creative. So, my boyfriend and I saw our barren fire escape, usually only full of our sunning plants, and made ourselves a makeshift patio. The most important part of creating this patio involved figuring out a way to make it feel like a backyard, which meant investing in some fake grass.
We opted for these plastic tiles, 1’x1’ squares of realistic-looking grass that lie flush against the bottom of the fire escape. Simply click them into place and you have a lush piece of land at your fingertips (or, toetips I guess). There are drainage holes in each square, allowing water to drip through rather than pooling on the surface. Even after a hard rainfall, it’s dry the next day to sit on and it’s soft enough to enjoy even without a cushion, though I keep one tied to the railing to lean against. We even added a string of solar powered lights, so that we could spend time out there in the summer.
This little patch of grass is more than just that. It’s a respite from the harshness of our current situation. It’s a little slice of relaxation among honking horns and sirens. The tiles add stability to the slatted metal that fire escapes are made of, which means you can rest glasses or plates with ease and enjoy dinner out there. I could even see myself ducking out of the window to work outside for a bit. And it even lets us be able to put our dog out there with us, as he basks in the sun, panting slightly. It’s everything you like about being outside, condensed into a tiny space. Does it take some maneuvering to fit all three of us (boyfriend and dog included)? Yes, but it kind of makes it better that way.
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