All my recommendations are going to be IPS panels since you don't do any super hardcore gaming. IPS panels have better viewing angles, color reproduction, etc etc, and are better than the cheaper TN panels in every way except price and response time (varies).
The 27" Thunderbolt display would be my choice for you, and it's right up against your price ceiling.
That display is really nice and very simple to use/setup, but if you want a cheaper alternative, you can get the Dell U2711 or the HP ZR2740. Those displays are all 2560x1440 in resolution, and are pretty much aimed at the professional market. I also believe all 3 of the monitors all have the same panel as well, and so the primary differences between the 3 are the type/number of ports, flexibility with settings, and the like.
If you would like to go the 24" route, the Dell U2412M is a good monitor, but has an aspect ratio of 16:10 (it isn't the more common TV/movie aspect ratio of 16:9, so you'll see black bars on a lot of media you'll watch on it)
You really should read up on monitors, because there are A LOT of choices. Hardforum is a great place with a lot of computer enthusiasts discussing various aspects of computing including monitors. tftcentral.co.uk has awesome reviews and recommendations as well. The connection to your MBP is probably the very last thing you should worry about, because there are various adapters/cables that can fix that problem. The quality of the panel is the most crucial aspect of buying a monitor.
