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I would go with Elgin or Palatine.
In Elgin, you have a larger supply of nice houses (or condos and townhouses) in your price range especially in the older part of the city, but Elgin still has somewhat of a stigma (a bit of hyperbole in my opinion). And Elgin has several Metra stops, great parks and near some Forest Preserves, if I remember correctly. Also, the bluffs on the westside of the Fox River offers wonderful views, and although the downtown is a bit sleepy, it is sizeable and fairly intact.
Palatine is nice also, but the supply of decent housing in your price range is much smaller than Elgin, but the schools are more highly rated. Its downtown is small and a bit spotty, but they are working on that.
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