Lincoln Place keeps its houses close together, and the lawns between them are small, particular squares — grass that has to be worked around porch steps, chain-link corners and the surface roots of maples older than the sidewalks. Phil's lawn service takes those yards on their own terms: mowed on a regular week, trimmed by hand where a machine cannot reach, then swept off the walk so nothing tracks indoors. Late spring in Granite City can push turf up an inch in three days, and staying ahead of that is most of the job. The reward is modest and complete — a short even lawn, a crisp line along the drive, the gate latched the way it was found. Small yards, cut carefully, make a whole block look looked-after.