The only bike that made sense was the Mongoose but the price was BS, and it's 26 Inch wheels. The OP need a 90's Hybrid, Mountain, ATB Steel bike with 700 wheels and something he can get 40's, or 42's on.
If vintage roadies work for folks that's great, and they may work for the OP but they have never worked fro me. (That composite Trek will be a teeth chatterer)
Centurian Dave Scott Iron-Man, Trek 660 (Beauty but a neck breaker), Trek 1400, Bianchi Eros (Tron Decals), Gary Fisher Cobia 29'r (way to much bike, but perfect for $42), Cannondale Super V 400 (Thankfully I got all my money back on that goofy thing), Cannondale F 700 (The OP could commute on that) Trek Multi Track 750 that I foolishly flipped (Exactly what the OP needs) And now the Giant Innova. (I still have a couple of these) None of these counting brief owned flips.
A Trek FX would be perfect as well. Or something like that Innova. Trek Multi Track.
And the OP is around Boston? Like any eastern City he's not going to be peddling 20 miles one way.
But hey, if an old roadie works.........