best starter bike style if I put 10% more weight on comfort than standard recs?

What is the best bet for getting a typical starter bike like a coop cty 1.1, but just a bit more upright and comfortable? Nothing too crazy like a beach-cruiser. Just a step away from efficiency and toward casual/comfortable.

My dumb newbie brain wants to:

* buy a standard recommended bike * step-through * one size up * lower the seat completely

So I can keep the suggested model, still reach the pedals, use step-through to reach the ground at stops, and get a couple inches of handlebar height for that little extra comfort, and still reach them too. Is this as dumb as it sounds?

Bullets:

* 5’9, 30” inseam, 69” wingspan. * Casual riding through the city to a smoothly packed, flat common trail. No real gravel or enthusiast mountain biking plans. * Hybrid. No front shock. 32-40mm. * Normal starter price $600-$900. * Leaning toward steel frame and mechanical brakes. * Leaning toward step-through either way.