Thanks for the viewit tip! I don't know the city that well. Been half-a-dozen times, but yeah, any tips for neighborhoods would be great! As for "the glut of university students" - count me as one of them...only, hopefully as a 27 yr old grad student, I won't fit the mental image you're picturing.

So yeah...I plan on biking mainly, but after a really nasty accident about 2-3 years ago in NYC on some ice, I'm a bit more wary of riding in icy conditions, so I might like something with some public transportation nearby when the weather isn't cooperating.

So, please, tell me about different neighborhoods, their feel, their price, etc. etc. Teach me about your wonderful city. I have a map in front of me, so feel free to name streets as borders of neighborhoods and I can figure it out. I know NYC and SF pretty good in case people want to make comparisions to neighborhoods there.

Basically, I don't need anything terribly "hip". I've done that schtick. I just want something close enough to food and whatnot...don't need to be a block away from the cool bars or cafes or whatever.

As for frames, $350 CA falls right in the middle of my range, and is a bit less than the prices I'm seeing in SF. On the LBS sticky thread I saw mentions of Cogs Cycle and The Urbane Cyclist...any other hints?