Chicago neighborhood W/ good schools+urban taste+commute to Hammond

[chet everett]

If roads are clear and you stick with 294 you probably will make it to / from Hammond in under 40 minutes, but weather events and similar tie-ups can really have major negative impact on travel times...

[moving_back]

We lived in Munster for almost 7 years. Although the area was very family friendly with good schools, walkability was definitely an issue for us as well. I think that without a core downtown area, you really lose the option to walk and get a coffee, bike to the farmers market, etc. It just wasn't part of the vibe of the community.

I agree that certain parts of Crown Point or Valpo might be good options for you, but also consider this: almost the entire time we lived in Munster, my husband commuted to north Naperville, and his commute time was right around 1 hour (unless there was snow or rain). Although I would never recommend and hour long commute to anyone, I think if you're willing to make the drive then La Grange could be a viable option for you. He found that, even during rush hour, the traffic on 80/294 was manageable, although we did spend a small fortune in gas and tolls.

[meatpuff]

I will second most of the suggestions so far, like Valparaiso, Crown Point, Munster, Tinley Park. And stretching the budget, Hyde Park, Flossmoor and La Grange. Oak Park is way too far.

Tinley Park is nice in many ways. Chet is right that there is only a tiny section of that very large village that could meet your target of being walkable. Don't bother with anywhere except near the train station along Oak Park Ave. There are pros and cons. Pros: easy to meet your budget, it is convenient and safe, many activities for kids, commute is good. The downsides are the housing stock is pretty uneven compared to someplace like La Grange; but what place isn't compared to La Grange! However, there are definitely some nice blocks and some cruddy blocks. Other downside, the schools in that section are comparatively weak compared to other parts of town, particularly the high school.

I will throw out a new one: the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago. The commute is around half an hour without traffic, which has improved with the partial interchange built recently at I-294/I-57. Beverly is cute and charming as heck. The tree-lined blocks are great for strolling, and there are businesses of all kinds along particularly 95th St and Western Ave. And you won't be the only one walking, definitely to a good degree the layout is oriented to pedestrians. And many of the nearby businesses are South Side legends: Keegan's, Fox's, Rainbow Cone, Top Notch. Downsides: your budget is on the lower end for the neighborhood. However, look and I think you will see there is a selection of family-sized homes for your budget. And you do catch one break on cost: the property tax rates will be much lower than you will see in the other Illinois suburbs. Second downside is the public high school. Really the elementary schools are good, but high school may be a problem for you. Very many people in the neighborhood opt for one of the many good Catholic high schools nearby.

I do recommend you check out Beverly. I think the feel will be a bit different from the other spots, and may be the closest to what I would imagine for your description of "urban taste/walkable".