Moving to Brussels from the USA

Hello everyone and thanks for all the useful info as I've been lurking for a bit. We (myself, wife, and kids 5 and 7) will likely be moving to Brussels from the US next spring and we're starting to look for a neighbourhood and a school.

We want to live in a vibrant neighbourhood with shops and restaurants and transit nearby, somewhere we could live without a car or with Cambio only. I'll be at NATO so I'm thinking the east side or center of the city, but what do I know. Any advice or pointers to a good neighbourhood guide in English or French? The kids are in an international school (French) here and we would likely put them into a Belgian primary school. any advice there? Is it possible to visit during the school day to get a feel for the place? I'd love to correspond with other expats whose primary age kids are in the francophone schools.

Thanks so much all and I hope to be joining you in Brussels soon. Bonne rentrée.