X.O.
You might want to consider the close suburbs: Skokie, Niles, Park Ridge
With the housing crash those areas are now affordable. The Maine Township schools area good--especially Maine South (high school).
Some of the better neighborhoods are Edison Park, Portage Park, Norwood Park, Jefferson Park, Sauganash, Ravenswood
Edison, Portage, Norwood and Jefferson Park would all be very close to the Blue Line train, so that might be a good option for you if you are open to public transit. The METRA also goes through there too.
I lived in Rogers Park, Edgewater and Des Plaines during college, and worked in Skokie. I wouldn't want to raise a family in Rogers Park or Edgewater these days--lots of crime.
ETA: Be prepared to adjust your expectations. Compared to Elgin, Chicago will seem incredibly cramped, even in the nice areas. I was just driving through the areas I mentioned and it is just a totally different feeling than I have when I am driving in the western suburbs. So congested; houses so close together and so old; longer lines at the stores, etc. It is a huge adjustment.