I'm from upstate PA. I will suggest checking the Performance store in Paoli. I go to school in Malverne a lot. I stop in there when I'm there. I also reccomend a triple crankset(referring to the number of rings on the pedals). You are going to need the extra low gears at the start. There are plenty of hills in Bucks. Not as bad as Northumberland where I live. But enough that a beginner will need plenty of low end gears.
One thing to consider. When you get you're bike and begin riding. If hills are still too much. Consider changing the rear gearset to a mountain set up. A typical triple set up will have a 30 tooth sprocket in front and a 28 tooth sprocket in the rear. With a mountain derailieur in the rear(the rear shifter mechanism). You can go as far as 36 teeth in the rear. This will allow much easier pedaling up hills. I did this to my road bike. It works well for me.
As to what to get I'll throw my hat into the hybrid ring as well. It is a great place to start. Performance sells Fuji. They are a good bang for the buck. The venerable Trek FX is a good choice. The Specialized Cirrus is also a good choice. And lastly the Jamis Coda series is also a very good choice.
Buy from a store that treats you well. Many have alluded to this. But you end up buying the shop as well as the bike. My local shop is great. They treat me very well. The relationship between you and you're LBS(local bike shop) will be invaluable for you as a beginner. Be sure you can feel good about taking the bike back for service. Or just stopping in and asking questions.
Lastly you want to add a little into you're budget for a few things. You will need a small seat bag and some supplies. I mean a spare tube,patch kit,tire levers and an inflation device. I use a CO2 inflater with a few spare cartridges.. You will get flats,period. Riding a bike guarantees this. Also learn how to change a tube and tire. This is very essential. You don't want to be stuck somewhere with a flat and no way to fix it and get home. There are plenty of Youtube articles and threads here on this. That is the minimum of what you need at the start.
Good luck in you're search. Don't be in a hurry. Look around and find some bikes you think you like. Come back here and ask specific questions on specific bikes. We would be glad to help you find a bike you will really enjoy. So get out there and look and test ride as many as you can and report back here. We'll get you fixed up.
Mark Shuman