Welcome from Milwaukee! While I agree that there are some great LBS in the area (Cory's being my preference just because of the awesome atmosphere and great staff, followed by The Bikesmiths because they've got some pretty darn good prices on parts), I ended up going the Bikesdirect route. Granted, the size selection (which is where a good LBS will always win over the internet) was easy for me since there was only one size that had a low enough standover for my stumpy legs, but for the money I couldn't find a better deal than the Gravity Liberty 3. Equipped the same as my buddy's Trek 1.5 (though with a triple instead of a compact crankset), but at half the price. And hey, it just happens to be $600!
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../liberty_3.htm