Do a search on this site for "bike fittings"... before you consider spending any money on any bike get a fitting. Once you have your measurements then you can start looking at bikes and comparing geometries etc. You may or may not need a WSD bike - its depends on your proportions not your height. If your legs are long but torso and reach short you may want a WSD bike but not necessarily.

You need to understand how you ride, you need to know materials and how they feel when your ride - such as Ti, steel, carbon and alumnium, and you need to know components. Do some internet research. Aluminum bikes are harsh feeling but stiff, can go fast. Carbon, Ti and steel are more forgiving materials generally but can also be stiff. There is also bike design (such as compact frames, touring, race, comfort etc) to consider.

If you need to stay around $1000 - 1500 look for a good steel bike (just my humble opinion) with the best components you can get. Lemond sells a nice steel bike with full Ultegra for around $1500. Although not a fan of carbon (but alot of folks are) you can get a nice, comfortable carbon bike from say Trek for around $2000.