Escapes need not be any further than the front porch. If your home has a porch, it's just a step outside. If you're in the city, the front stoop can be a great place to spend a summer evening, too. Either way, both spaces are semi-public, semi-private, making them ideal places to meet the neighbors while you're at it...

Escape to your porch for:

• 1 Dining, from Country Living
• 2 Reading, from Apartment Therapy New York
• 3 Sleeping, from Just Say Mo
• 4 Swinging, from Flickr member Linda N. licensed under Creative Commons
• 5 Or even dancing, from Country Living