Unless there is something about a particular parish that would hinder your spiritual life outright, always go to the one closest to home. The local parish is supposed to be the gathering of the faithful in a particular place, not a gathering of those who like that particular style of the Liturgy, or those who like that particular church building, or those who like those particular programs available. At heart, picking your parish based on those factors is no different than picking a parish because it doesn't have too many poor people, or old people, or children, or Greeks, or Russians, or converts, or cradles.
Respectfully, I think it's more important to be comfortable in the parish you attend than to attend the one closest to home. If you don't feel that you can comfortably worship there, and that is going to keep you from communing with God, then by all means, go somewhere else. Though I am Greek and attend a Greek parish, I am totally sympathetic to converts who don't speak Greek and, worse, don't feel comfortable in the parish. When my sister and I were young, we were ostracized by other kids because we didn't speak Greek (and this happened in two parishes and one dance troupe). I wouldn't voluntarily subject myself to that, as it
would hinder my spiritual life.
As well, as a person with certain talents and gifts that are unique to those of someone else, I would rather be in a parish where I feel I can contribute. If the parish 10 minutes away from me has a Byzantine choir and an English choir and two chanters, and the one 20 minutes away has no choir and no chanter and is in need, then as a trained chanter, I'm going to go to the parish that needs a chanter, where I feel I can contribute using the gifts God gave me. This is what I meant when I said look at their programs and see where you can help.
I'm not advocating parish hopping or jurisdiction hopping. I abhor both practices and think that they are results of nothing but pride. But I do believe in carefully choosing where to commit oneself based on which parish you believe will help you in your journey to God. The Church is there as an aid and a help to us in our journey to God. But not everyone has the same needs, aside from the obvious (Holy Communion and the rest of the sacraments). Go to the parish where you are comfortable and that helps you in your journey toward God, not hinders it. It's like choosing a spiritual father. You don't just choose the first priest you meet. You choose the one that you feel comfortable confessing to, who can help you in your journey. You don't choose the one who doesn't speak the same language, both literally and metaphorically, if you know what I mean.