Please contact Pietro
his really the expert of backyard,planters,patios,bricks,stones,pavers and more.
917 406 7913,references provided

Sounds like a perfect job for A Small Green Space.

http://www.asmallgreenspace.com/

We used DeCarlo Landscaping in Palisades Park about 4 years ago; they did a great job. They put in a brick patio and we have very few weeds. They also pulled out tons (and tons) of old river rock that the yard was buried in, along with weeds, bottle caps and glass and replaced it with sod.
http://www.decarlolandscape.com/

When I had mine done about 5 years ago, I used the 14th street garden center. They were the cheapest and nicest. Some contractors would make an appointment and then never show up or return calls. I have pavers which i like. They have never gotten uneven but they do get some weeds in between. I do really like them though.

We have a concrete backyard patio (we rent so didn't have a choice). On paper, I would have said I preferred stone but the concrete is actually not bad looking. I put a couple of photos up for you here, in case it helps to see an example of what it can look like. Our landlord is pretty cheap, so I'm assuming this was the least expensive option (we put in the grass and peastone area with the firepit ourselves). It's definitely very low (no) maintenance - we don't do anything other than sweep.

Yep - it is at the rear, but we actually have good accessibility because we have a ground level garage that offers direct access to the backyard - no need to go through the house.

Will the patio be at the rear of a rowhouse? If so, accesssibility with materials will be difficult and will affect the price. I sent a private message to your inbox.

I'm looking to install a backyard patio in our downtown condo on a lot of about 25x30. Could you recommend a contractor that does this?
I've heard about Hufnagel and while I agree their work is lovely, they are most likely too expensive for us. Looking for something very reasonable and not over the top, as we definitely have a budget for the project.

For those of you that have patios, could you offer some advice on what type of surface you would use - stone/paver/concrete? We want something that looks attractive but that will be low maintanance (not alot of weeds growing in between stones that we have to maintain), and that will offer a smoother, rather than a bumpier surface, so that patio furniture lies flat and no tripping hazards for smaller kids. I love the look of stone, but I've heard it is very expensive. I'm not sure how I feel about concrete.

All thoughts and PMs are appreciated!