First of all thank you in advance for any help here. To make a long story short I am looking for a new bike just to ride around the city, to the gym, with my daughter etc. Wont be doing any major off road but roads are pretty bad here in New Orleans. I have somewhat narrowed it down to what I am looking for and deciding to get from a local store rather than online and have a budget of around $500 to $600 for something that will last a while. I currently have a fixie which is just not great for pulling my young kid around since it basically has no brakes.

Anyway, I dont think I need front suspension but would ideally like disc brakes. I pretty much know nothing about components but would like to stay with major brands for the bike. I will obviously ride them all before buying but have access to most of the main bikes but there are several in the price range and I am getting a little lost to be honest. Just looking for the biggest bang for the buck. Most of what I can tell are the best ones are:
- Giant Escape
- Specialized Sirrus
- Trek FX
- Cannondale Quick
- Kona Dew
- Marin SC/CS

I am open to any of the above and other brands/models in general. Again just looking for some help in seeing the best options for the money.

Thank you.

My one thought is that for pulling a trailer I'd favor whichever models had wider tires and a utilitarian focus in their design.

Welcome! All of the bikes you are considering are in the same basic "fitness hybrid" category. I'd suggest an additional option, in the same category: the Jamis Coda. Jamis takes a bit of a different approach than essentially everyone else, and still uses steel frames. But it's not the same "gas pipe" steel that made older cheap bikes weigh a ton; it's Reynolds 520 chrome-moly steel. The Coda Comp is probably the one you would like the most, with a carbon fork and hydraulic disc brakes. It weighs only 26 pounds, which will be very competitive with your other choices.

https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/codacomp.html

I don't own a Jamis, but I do have a few high quality steel bikes and steel just offers a compliance that aluminum doesn't. The $760 asking price of the Coda Comp seems somewhat steep for a bike with a basic 3x8 drivetrain, but you're paying for the high quality frame and fork, and for other components that are nice; you're getting some branded parts where other bikes use "house brand" stuff, like Vittoria tires, Alex rims, Formula hubs, etc. I don't know how large of a tire a Coda Comp could fit, but I imagine you could go up to at least a 38mm or a 40mm tire. If you're interested, you could ask a local bike shop or check with Jamis.

Their website's "Find a Retailer" feature doesn't seem to be complete (my local bike shop, which does sell and stock Jamis bikes, isn't listed), but it appears you have at least one retailer local to you: Bicycle Michael's on Frenchmen St in NO, LA.

I have a Quick 3 and it will allow for a wider tire and has hydraulic disc brakes. It has a carbon fork and road bike influenced gearing. It handles very well and has mounts for fenders and racks. The Quick frame fits me but I would take the bikes you like for a good ride and let that be your gauge. While all of the bikes you have listed are of very good quality they all have slightly different frame design that only you can tell what is best for you. Do I recommend the Quick? Yes, I have two but they fit me very well and I like their quality and price point. Good luck and let us know what you choose.
Frank.

Me, I'd build a bike on an MTB frame. Get one close to what you want in size from Craigslist and go from there. You can dump a cheap (useless) front fork and get a nice CroMo fork for less than a C note. A lot of the frames came with lugs for disk brakes, even if fitted with V brakes (which are lighter). Most will accommodate much bigger tires than most road frames. Most are as tough as nails. I'd go aluminum frame and work on the weight of the components. Put drop bars on if you wish. It'll be a "cross ~ gravel" bike. But it'll handle any road conditions with ease

This is a bike I'd want to ride.
Frank.