If the Big Block is your first bike with track geometry I think you will find it is really fantastic on hills. Combined with the pedaling efficiency of FG you will feel invincible (even at 40+)...it'll be a good year once the thaw finally comes. I wholeheartedly disagree with Sheldon Brown on only one issue: I think track bikes make great city bikes. They are very nimble (and at least the Godzilla is very predictable and stable, not what I would consider twitchy by any means), they afford the possibility of a more upright body position out of the drops for better vision through traffic, and at least on my commute I don't feel the ride is unusually harsh riding 25c tires.
I have a set of RD2's on my conversion and love them, they aren't as nice to look at as 75's but riding they are indistinguishable to me. You may have darkened the door of my favorite LBS, Yellow Jersey, on your travels up here...small shop on State Street right off the square. I seem to remember they sold me my RD2's for $90 with a Zen ring, pretty good deal I thought.
Velomine is bookmarked, looks like a good site.