Grayslake is the small-town-charm pick around Naval Station Great Lakes — a village out in the lakes-and-prairie part of Lake County with a genuinely walkable historic downtown, well-regarded schools, and a real sense of community. It's a little farther from the gate than the towns right next to base, and for a lot of families that's a trade worth making.
What it's actually like, day one
Downtown Grayslake is the heart of it: a preserved Center Street strip of local shops and restaurants, a summer farmers market, community events through the year, and the Lake County Fairgrounds nearby. The setting is lakes and prairie — including Prairie Crossing, the conservation-minded community on the north side with its own Metra stop — and the College of Lake County's main campus is in town. Two Metra commuter lines (the Milwaukee District North and the North Central Service) run from Grayslake into downtown Chicago, so the city is an easy day out without a car-into-the-Loop headache.
The tradeoff
You're about 11 miles west of base — figure 20–25 minutes, the longest of the close-in towns, though still an easy daily commute. It runs pricier than the value towns near the lake (Waukegan, Zion, North Chicago), and the quiet, small-town pace isn't for everyone. What you get for it is the downtown, the schools, the lakes, and a community that's easy to plug into for a tour.
Verify before you sign
Pull the specific CCSD 46 feeder + the District 127 high school for the address, drive the base commute at your report time, and — if the train factors in — check which Metra line/station is closest (the two lines serve different parts of town).
Neighborhoods
Grayslake centers on its historic downtown, with Prairie Crossing (transit-oriented, prairie-restored) to the north and the residential areas around the College of Lake County to the south. Each has its own feel — walk the downtown and drive the neighborhoods before you choose.