Howard Forums and Phonescoop are both good.
I have an LG VX6100 that I like, it's functional and easy to use. I think they sell those still and they should be super cheap.
I've heard good things about the Motorola e815 - but I've also heard they have horrible build quality from some people, so I'm not sure what to believe. My buddy has one and I've played around with it a little bit, it plays MP3's nicely and seems to be easy to use. The e815 is also pretty hackable, if you're into that sort of thing (that's the reason I tend to stick with LG phones). I like to be able to make and upload my own ringtones and wallpapers without being charged for it by VZW.