What would you do to increase curb appeal?

[Hilary Graves]

My husband and I just bought our first deal, a 5-unit that sits pretty close to the road. Besides upgrading the units themselves, we definitely want to paint the exterior and replace the old deck and patio for curb appeal.  Please feel free to weigh in on the following:

1. What if anything can be done about the ugly wiring (power/telephone/cable?) on the front of the building?

2. What would you put down instead of the green turf? 

3. Is there a way that we can "hide" the recycling bins?