Best neighborhoods

commute on foot, by bike, by car?
Wilrijk might be a good start.
There are shops, businesses and parks everywhere.
you'd have to define what you consider is "top" really to get any useful suggestions.

Yes, I should be more specific;
-less crime
-cleaner and greener (more trees)
-near shops, stores, everyday practical needs (health club, yoga, language classes)
-near main travel roads
-near parks and running or biking paths.
-libraries

My husband will work in Wilrijk, but its very industrial from my understanding.
He does not want to travel more than 20 minutes.
We will travel, by car, motorcycles, walk.
Clean, safe, convenient. 
The nachtengalen & middlehiem (spelling) I walked through a park and it's similar to a neighborhood I would like to live near because of the beautiful park. It was a visit from the US, so I did not get to travel around and figure up how close it was to stores and the convenience of all the other mentioned.

The entire city of Antwerpen corresponds to your criteria, other than around the port. Just look on google maps for green.

I don't know where you get the idea Wilrijk is just industrial.

Here is a house in Wilrijk, not far from Middleheim and Nachtengalenpark. It's a few minutes walk to KUIJPERS no 7 / 15 tram stop which takes you right to the centre of Antwerpen. I don't think you'd get any better than this area.

http://www.immoweb.be/en/Rent.Estate.cf … ry&xpage=1

Here is a map of lots of things in Antwerpen.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/maps/antwerp.htm

PS given how the Indian (Jain) community of Brussels are very well off by Belgian standards and they nearly all live in Wilrijk where you'll find the biggest Jain temple outside India, then I'd put my money on Wilrijk as being a nice place to live.