Do you not have a back yard? Potted plants have to be watered , very often depending upon your climate & what is potted. Dimensions needed ….

A fired out with chair around it then faux grass on the rest of the space.

Do you own the whole space, or just half? Is there another place to hang out?

It doesn't seem very private for a sitting area. Either for you or for the neighbours whose windows overlook the space and who might be disturbed by talking outside their windows. Plus not very attractive with the utility equipment and window well. That's if I've not misunderstood the window situation.

I'd want to have a path from the gate and a couple of sturdy shrubs, maybe a feature like a few large interesting rocks or some kind of statuary and not use it for sitting at all.

Unless, of course, it's the only outdoor space you have.

It appears to be ashared area with the next door neighbor since both roofs drain into the space so not really 10 x35 only 5 x 35 which makes it un useable for much at all Does not look like aspot I would want to use for entertaining for sure I think it is adead space and potted plants need water and so do scrubbs IMO leave it as it is and do your entertaining somewhere else .

Unfortunately I don’t have a back yard…I do have a side yard that includes common area. I was also considering making a gate to the fence and that would allow us to better utilize the common space. I don’t mind watering potted plants or a few plants. I am wondering if I could change the rocks and landscape this side to be more useful. Faux sod? Other? Would love thoughts.

My yard is inside the fence, other space is common area

Also technically the entire side between homes is mine. The neighbor utilizes the other side and goes from there

Now I'm completely confused. How does the area in the picture in your original post relate to these new pictures?

That space for anything other than a few pots or plants makes no sense since the water off the neighbors roof spills into there how will you mange that with entetaining . For me I like the idea of some cool decor maybe but for friends visiting not ideal and for sure no firepit .

I don’t think there is much to do with the space between the homes. It’s meant to be a drainage and utility area, and probably needs to be accessed by technicians periodically. Do you have an HOA? If so, what does it allow?

I do have an HOA and they allow landscaping on side. Sorry for confusion. I have 2 sides that I can use. The one in between houses maybe concrete pad and small sitting area for my husband and I and pup. Other side with opening wondering how to make the it more inviting replacing the rocks?

Just my opinion but I'd rather see natural stones than plastic 'grass'. And unless it is very carefully, professionally, laid and levelled fake lawn looks just that. Fake. I suppose you could have some kind of decking raised so the drain pipes go under it. But then you might have the rats under the floorboards issue.

Maybe more potential than appears at first glance? Here's one option that builds a low deck over the stones, with an artificial grass runway on an overlapping, one-step-up deck at the end for the pup. Plan, at least, is to scale. I'm guessing about exact locations of pipes, etc., so adjustments would likely be needed. If the white pipes above the decking can be painted, they could blend better with the stone veneer on the walls. This leaves the window wells open, no deck over them, so light still reaches the basements. I'm assuming the gate (if there is one) opens out; I don't see anything opening in.

Thank you!