Hi - I have attached photos of my lawn. I am just a 1-year newbie when the sod was installed on May of 2015. I am in Chicago area and the lawn is KBG. I learnt the need of aeration, dethatching, watering and fertilizing growing the lawn. I had gone through weed control and was able to control weeds.

a) Can you please comment if my lawn is looking good? and what can be done to improve? Please provide inputs. I do watering on very hot summer days, fertilizing scotts food once in 2 months(2 to 3 times last year, and this year did twice till now), tried aeration with spike sandals. I didn't do any de-thatching in the early spring, but learnt the need of it looking my lawn at early spring.

b) I am not sure if light green lawn(like golf course) or dark green lawn is appealing more to crowd? Let me know which one appeals more?

c) In one of the photos, you can see my neighbour's lawn which is light green(it's always light green) and he has one of the best lawn in my street. He mows low everytime and his lawn is established for about 5-6 years. I am mowing my lawn a little high about 3 inches and looks dark green and is about 1 year old. When i try to mow low to about 1.5 to 2 inches just like my neighbour, my lawn goes brown immediately, so i try to maintain it about 3 inches to keep it dark green, since i can't make it light green if i mow low(since it turns brown soon). I am cautious of my mower blade and have changed it twice till now from last 2015 May, so that might not be a reason for browning soon. I think my neighbour's lawn too is KBG, why is the color difference here. Is it because my neighbour mows it low and i keep it high or could there be some other reason? Should i do anything to make my lawn light green like my neighbour or is my lawn looking healthy in dark green and should maintain whatever i am doing right now?