Trying to find similar neighborhood in Chicago

[Brett S.]

A friend of mine is looking to relocate to Chicago for a new job.   I used to live in the Midwest (metro Detroit)  so he asked me, but I don't know Chicago that well. I pointed this out to him on a map.  Still, I figured it was worth asking here.    

If he lived in Michigan he would be in Birmingham based on what he told me he is looking for. Unlike most of the urban sprawl / suburbia in metro Detroit, Birmingham is a downtown oasis area of 20,000 people with walkable streets, great restaurants, parks, libraries, and some of the best schools in Michigan and people who often prefer to take a stroll to town vs drive their car (exceptionally rare in the birthplace of the automobile assembly line)

There are only a handful of apartment/condo buildings and none are over two or three stories. Vast majority is sfr. Home prices range widely ($300k to over $6 mil) but in the most desirable areas (immediately around the downtown area) you'll pay about a million for 3,500 sqft, 3-4 bed and it will be plenty fancy inside.   Ferraris and bentleys going through downtown are pretty common but vehicles of all price ranges go through. 

Middle of the sprawl, Easy access to highways, about 30 min from downtown Detroit. 

Any people familiar with Chicago know if an area (or two) like that?

If it was in Texas, it would be Belleville minus strip malls, plus a walkable downtown.