In June the parkway strips of Bremen Township — those narrow ribbons of grass between sidewalk and curb — are the first thing a street shows you. Alex's Lawn Care & Additional Services INC. keeps them mown, trimmed and edged clean along the blocks toward Midlothian and Oak Forest. Mornings start with dew still silvering the blades and the mower leaving its pale and dark stripes behind it. Cutting, string-trimming, mulch and seasonal cleanups are the ordinary vocabulary of a south-suburban summer, and doing them steadily is what makes a modest lot look looked-after from the sidewalk. The last pass of the day ends with the walk blown clean and the clippings gone.