Originally Posted by erg79

Regarding the standing/foot issue, for road bikes the conventional wisdom is that you should not be able to put your foot on the ground when sitting. If you need to put your foot down, you're stopped, so you don't need to be sitting on the saddle still. It's also a bit easier to start from a stop when you push off the ground and stand up to pedal for a bit, then sit back down.

Beach cruisers and comfort bikes have pretty relaxed geometry, where you can pretty much put your feet down while still on the seat. You won't find this on road or hybrid bikes.

This may be a change that you get used to, but perhaps not. I know you've thought about a ton of different bikes already, but if this becomes a big issue for you, you may want to consider an Electra bike. I don't think that they get a lot of respect from more serious cyclists, but if you're looking for a relaxed ride, they're great. My wife has a woman's Electra Townie. They have men's versions as well, but the styling is more cruiser-like, and it seems like you're not interested in that. They have one line that's more of a blend of hybrid bike and cruiser, the Ticino. REI should carry them.

http://www.electrabike.com/Bikes/ticino-bikes-electra