So what's the decision here?
My non-requested recommendation is this, you do not need suspension to have a fun, reliable trail bike that is also a decent around town bike. If you work on your own bikes, this is the key. Scan Craigslist and Facebook marketplace until you find your size in a quality mid-topshelf mountain bike. I find nice examples for sale regularly. My fleet favorite is an '84 Univega Alpina Uno a friend gave me. There are plenty of neglected but intact non-abused MTB's out there to suit your budget perameters.