Nancy,
You may want to consider getting two different bikes, one for recreational riding and one for commuting. A commuting bike needs to be more durable to deal with NYC streets, and depending on if you ride in the rain, lock it outside, ride in traffic, etc, you may be able to find a beater on Craigslist. On the other hand, you probably want a lighter, more responsive, and more expensive bike for your recreational riding.
Also, pedals with cleats are best for biking, but a little scary to be locked in when riding in traffic.
Good luck!

"Carol's point about fit being the #1 concern is right on. Also, do not underestimate the value of her advice to avoid strolling into a shop at a busy time, such as a weekend afternoon in the spring or summer. You'll want to spend some time with the salesperson in an unrushed environment. Even if your salesperson is courteous and genuinely trying to give you his or her full attention, you may feel pressure if the store is full and other customers are waiting for you to be finished so that they can be helped. If you can plan ahead, you might call the shop, find out what would be a good time to come in, and make an appointment. My guess is that they'll appreciate it your interest and go out of their way to make the experience pleasant when you do come in. Another suggestion is to plan on visiting several shops and trying out a number of bikes over a period of weeks. I visited three shops (one twice) and test rode about 5 or 6 bikes before making my first roadbike purchase. By the way, I was looking in the $1,000 - $1,500 range, and I never got the sense from any of the salespeople I dealt with that I was a second class citizen because I was not in the market for something higher end.

In terms of specific shop recommendations, I've bought two bikes from Sid's and was pleased with the salespeople and follow up service both times. I also had a good experience with Casey at Larry & Jeff's. Recognizing that I was a roadbike newbie, Casey was very patient and made sure I tried out at least 3 or 4 different bikes at the shop to give me a sense of different geometries and ""feel."" Piermont Cycles was also very accomodating and had a great selection of bikes. In the end, though, I felt more comfortable buying from a shop in Manhattan, since I thought after-purchase tune ups and service would be more convenient.

Good luck!
"

Ditto what Fred suggested, and I agree that KC (a/k/a Casey) is a knowledgeable and great guy to talk to. I bought my first road bike there from Chris, who also is knowledgeable and listened to my desires, though he can be more skewed to Specialized...he likes their product. On that note, I love my Specialized, and they ALL worked with me till it fit me perfectly. My recommendation: be patient and ask LOTS of questions. Good luck!

If you're wanting to check out some different places, I have had a good experience with Chad at Toga (on Westend). I already had a bike fit (from Paul Levine) when I purchased my bike through him, so can't speak to that, but he has been friendly and knowledgable both with the bike purchase and follow up.

"Carols advice is great. I just want to add that there is a strong tendency among almost all bicycle sales people in the competitive environment of NYC to avoid raising issues. They are justifiably afraid that if they raise an issue you will say, ""Wow, I hadn't thought of that. I had better get some advice on that,"" and then you will walk out and, after getting your advice, end up at a different store. So please do some reading and take some notes and talk to some club members and visit some shops then go into the store to buy with a prioritized list of requirements, at least."