Hello! I am currently a high schooler in NY. I want to start getting into biking to school instead of taking the train. At first, I was going to get the Mercier Kilo TT Pro or the Aventon but my school's environment isn't that safe so I decided to lower my budget from $500 to about $250-300 max. I just need a bike to commute. I don't need a too fancy bike since I am still new. I prefer single speed road bikes. I have a few bikes in mind currently(open to new opinions on other bikes):
Dawes SST 1 Speed Steel Track Bikes ($200 on BD)
Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike ($200 on Amazon)
Please help me! I have been stressed for the past week because I don't know what bike to get. Thanks!

New York is probably Nirvana for single-speeds. Of the two that you list, I favor Bikes Direct because I'm at least familiar w/the brand. Brilliant Bicycles in Tribeca sells a single-speed Astor for exactly $300. It's flat-bar though, and I think you want drops.

Kryptonite named its best bike lock for New York. Whatever bike you get, get a good lock. You might be able to keep the lock on the bike rack at your school, locked of course, if you have a safe place to keep the bike at home. That'll save you hauling a heavy chunk of steel back and forth.

Get a used bike on craigslist.

I checked out that bike and it looks pretty good but yeah, i want kinda want drops. I also looked into another bike:
Crew Bike Co. City-1 Single Speed Bike ($170 on CityGrounds)
It is on sale right now. From 300 to 170, which isn't a bad deal. I can replace the handlebar with drops. What do you think?

Buy one with drops to begin with if those are you want. Converting a frame designed for one style of bar to the other is fraught with problems.

Windsor Clockwork Plus? (299 from BD)??? I saw a few reviews stating that it isn't bad.

Maybe I should wait for another bike clearance sale on citygrounds.

What do you think about this bike?
Since I am a new member, I can't post urls, but this is the description of it:
"Trek Alpha 54cm Road Bike in Excellent Vorking Condition,Very Comfortable,Super Light Aluminum Frame with Full Carbon Fork.Extremely Fast.
Gears shift smoothly and brakes working better than excellent.
This racing machine is 54cm, equipped with Shimano components.24 Gears. 700C Wheels.Recently add Continental Gatorskin Tire. The wheels spin true.
Has been tune so it is very smooth and easy to ride. Ready to ride.
This bike is good for someone from 5'3'' to 6'"
It is about $320

https://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/bik/d/trek-slr-54cm-road-bike-with/6479873086.html

How tall are you? 54cm does not usually fit someone up to 6'

I agree that a used bike on Craigslist is a good bet.

It looks great, especially if you want a fast bike with narrow tires.

I got this Dawes Streetfighter from BikesDirect for my son to ride here in NYC. Looks like much the same as the SST, just different bars. It's a good bike, has held up well and he likes it for its simplicity. BikesDirect bikes should be checked out on arrival, some have needed adjusting and lubrication and this was no exception. Nothing serious, just good practice. We replaced the stock tires for better-quality tires with flat protection.

That Trek on CL looks good...and maybe it also looks more theft-worthy. The Dawes would be more low key.