Wow, thank you for all of the replies! I really appreciate the input and I think I am going to follow my gut and get a 54 cm frame. The bike I was riding was a Specialized Allez Evo (which was out of my price range), but the guy at the shop wanted me to try two different sizes of the same bike.

I think it general I just prefer a more compact set-up. Weird analogy, but I play drums and have always liked my kit to be compact and really tight as opposed to spread out.

I'm going to go to another bike shop on Saturday and try riding a different brand to see how the sizing varies. This guy carries Felt bikes which is what I was actually planning on getting.

Again, thanks for the help. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me more as I dive deeper into the world of cycling!