I'm very highly biased. I'm a delighted 2006 Trek Portland owner. I've also been car-free since April 1999.
Take note, Bomburdoo, because there's much to learn here: a lot of careful judgment went into configuring this bike. But this isn't what I'd call a basic setup; for a beginning commuter, it's aspirational. That rack, for instance, looks like a Tubus -- Cosmo, perhaps? Not an impulse buy.