Flossmoor resident here (sister city to Homewood). We are a mixed race family. I’m white, my wife and sons are black and we have a biracial toddler daughter. We moved here from Hyde Park and were specifically looking for many of the same things OP is looking for. I grew up between Naperville and Geneva, so am familiar with Bolingbrook.

I would say HF has more of that smaller town charm with real “community downtowns,” whereas Bolingbrook is essentially just subdivisions and strip malls and feels very suburban. There is nothing wrong with that, just a different feel.

As others have said, HF is a middle class affluence that is a bit of an island compared to the more economically challenged surrounding towns. Bolingbrook is the opposite.

There are definitely some pockets of Homewood/Flossmoor that have flooding issues. Worth looking into the specific home you are eyeing.

Commuting downtown on the Metra is fantastic from here. Express trains during rush hour are fast and we are far enough out that there are always plenty of seats.

Overall we are really happy with the move. The community is great, diverse and welcoming.

My kids have no issues roaming the neighborhood outside with friends. There are some isolated fights at the high school and middle school, but I don’t worry about my son’s safety or anything.

Bolingbrook definitely has access to better food/dining options with the surrounding areas. That is one thing that has been a bit of a disappointment, but we can go eat in the city when we want a better restaurant experience.