Wow, this original post could be from me -- same height, same budget, same requirements, and newbie. (But I'm female; MequonJim I assume is male.) Even before reading 14R's great post, I narrowed it down to the Downtube Mini and the Dahon Curve through online research. I haven't done any test riding yet, but I think the Curve is available here.

Not wanting to hijack the OP's thread, but hopefully he'll be interested in the answer too: Is one of these significantly easier to fold and/or carry? According to the specs, the weight seems about the same, and the Curve's folded size is longer (Mini 10"x20"x29", Curve 13"x24"x26"). I like that the Curve has fenders.

(Size and ability to camouflage is a bit more of an issue than weight for me, since I'll be carrying the bike up stairs and into a fancy office building elevator, and stashing in a small shared space -- but MequonJim might have other needs, so general thoughts on size/fold/carry would be awesome. BTW, I'll be on road, mostly 5km/3mile trips. )