I've been browsing the forums for a while now and I've been looking at different single speeds that I could buy. I have a price range of anywhere from 350~550. I was looking for something that has a flip flop hub so I can try fixed gear as well as SS. If it doesn't have one I'm pretty sure you can just buy the hub for it and do it yourself? I like the different bikes I've been reading about online, but the one thing I'm a bit iffy on is not being able to test ride the bike to see if it fancies me. I would rather buy from a LBS, I live in the bay area of California so I've been going around to some shops locally to see what they have.

Would there be any certain brands to keep an eye out for while shopping around? At one shop there was a bike called felt which the guy working there said it was one of the smoothest SS he's rode before. I would be using the bike to commute to and from school which is about 2 miles, take out for exercise and to ride for fun around coastal roads, and such. I might be using the bike for a bit of a journey around California so I have that to consider as well.
Do shops usually sell brands of bikes like the IRO MarkV/Angus, Bianchi Pista, Windsor The Hour, or a Mercier Kilo TT/KHS Flite? Thank you for any help and suggestions.