Have you ridden any of the bikes you mentioned? You should definitely shop around and test ride several bikes from different manufacturers before settling on one. The main thing I think you'll want to figure out is whether you like a more upright riding position (as the 7300 has) or something with a lower riding position (like the 7.3 FX). That will help you narrow down the options quite a bit.

My personal recommendation would be a Specialized Sirrus (the Sirrus Sport is the model that would be closest to your price target) which is roughly similar to the Trek FX models but is lighter and has thinner tires for quicker speeds on the road. You can still use it on unpaved bike paths as long as the ground is firm... you really don't want to be taking any hybrids on really rough terrain or loose sandy paths. Anyway, being in a similar situation as yourself, having gotten back into cycling last year after a decade or more of not being on a bike, the Sirrus Sport is what I ultimately bought. I don't know what it's like during the Winter months, though.