I'm looking for a fun single car <$10k that I can replace my current daily (5000lb automatic truck) with

Situation:

-I do have a garage but its 30 mins away: I'd like to keep it for "wrenching" and not car storage. I barely drove my last project car because it became a hassle to swap cars if I wanted to take it out for a nice drive
-I want something common/shitty enough I'm okay sacrificing it to the salt gods so I can actually have something fun for 4-5 months of the year + street park since I live in a NYC Apartment
-It has to be fun to drive
-Reliable so I'm not wrenching on it 24/7 (my last project car turned me into a Master Tech...to the point I stopped enjoying it)
-Practical enough I can do groceries in it (eliminates Miatas but I'd still love a NC2)

What have I found?

-Focus STs (actually not a horrible option, I'm just not crazy about them?)

-Fiesta STs (love these, but often I find them really rusty or with headgasket issues at higher miles)

-S197 3v Mustang GTs (there was a mint one I posted a few weeks back I wish I bought, great cars but 90% of the ones I find are clapped or have 120-170k+ miles)

-MK6 GTis (I like these but I'm turned off by how bad the EA888 Gen 1/2 can get, might go for a 06-08 FSI EA113 instead if its cheap and not rotted)

-Mazdaspeed 3 (found a decent one earlier that needed a clutch, but these seem as bad as WRXs to own and blow up)

-A million turbo Subarus (I had a stock '05 WRX that didn't blow up at one point from 100-150k miles, it wasn't bad but I'm not sure if I'd try one again unless I found a bone stock Legacy GT/Forester XT 5spd)

What I'm not considering
-N52 BMWs (oil pump chain + potential to be really expensive really fast + need like $3-4000 in parts like a LSD and M suspension parts to be "fun")
-Civic Sis (impossible to find used without salvage/rotted/way overpriced)
-VQ Nissans like a G37 6mt (get stolen + a lot like the BMWs that don't feel "nice" without mods and can get $$$ to fix)