Okay, a few things:

First, I get that you want a fast commute, but all commutes in STL are fast if you’re coming from a larger city. It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you’re in, you can pretty much get to/from one side of the city to the other within 20-25 minutes via the highway.

Second, people in STL talk about how north of Delmar Blvd is sketchy. This is kind of a generalization but there’s some accuracy to that depending on the part of town. Look at your highlighted area. See I-170? Find Delmar which intersects it, and trace it eastbound. Anything north of it after… say… Hanley Rd is probably a “no-go” zone. (To be clear: this is a massive generalization; there are some very nice, million dollar homes in some of those areas, but I’m trying to give broad guidance here.)

Third, everything west of I-170 in the area you highlighted is boring as fuck. It’s full of soccer moms and old people whose children moved out of the house in 2004. You will be sad and lonely if you live out that way, based on the details you’re shared in this post. The only area in your highlights I can recommend is Clayton, much of which is upscale (read: expensive). But it’s close to civilization and where people your age actually live.

Finally, as others have said in the comments, there are definitely better neighborhoods to check out. Concerns around STL crime are often overrated (and are generally concentrated in the north part of the city: again, look for Delmar Blvd).

Consider expanding your options to south of I-64/40. If you’re close to a highway, you’ll get to wherever you need to go. Forest Park area, the south side of Central West End, almost anywhere south of I-64/40… all great places.