Well I did use for a long time a rather crappy looking Huffy 3 speed for commuting in Seattle - and it was perfect for the short trips I was making as well as being uninteresting to any bike thief that wasn't seriously whacked out on crack.

But it's not the bike I would have used if I wanted to ride for recreational purposes, or exercise - I had a Miyata 110 for that.

I wouldn't shy away from hi-ten framed bikes, unless you're planning on racing or something, you don't really need anything better.