I have the Electra Townie 8 - bought last year at REI with the 20% off sale. It was still higher than your budget though.

The crank-forward option gives the ability to put both feet down. That was critical in getting me back on a bike as I felt very unsafe on more standard configurations.

A warning though - as I've gotten better, I've been eyeing other bikes. That seems to be a disease often reported on BF.