I am partial to Rhode Island Reds, they lay consistantly, rarely ever get sick, do well in very cold conditions (their feathers are close and tight to their bodies, helps them keep more body heat in).
They are decently friendly enough, and not too peckish if either hand raised or have been taught their place. I am not enchanted by their looks, they are plain looking, although nice color, but I get them for their dependability on laying about 6 eggs a week per bird all year long, without fail.
It is my understanding that Barred Rocks are also a efficient of layers (this is one of the breeds Rhode Islands were bred from), and are quite chatty and easy going to boot. Not particularly flashy birds, again, plain, but good birds and good layers.
Now we get into bantys...we had two Rhode Island Red Bantys, Henny and Penny. They laid some pretty large banty eggs, 6 days a week, so they had retained their Rhode Island egg laying ability in their little banty bodies, and to boot were fierce little mothers to all the eggs laid by the other when there was a rooster fertilizing..their banty trait (bantys are known fantastic brood hens). They were personable for RIR's being bantys they were quite social with us.
We currently have a banty Americauna, cute little thing, sweet temperment, lays tiny blue eggs, and she likes to sit on others eggs too. Pretty bird with the classic Americauna looks (gold collar, gray lined feathers on bottom half of body).
I also have some Black Jersey Giants that are just 4 months old. I did not "hand raise" these, let them out after brooding them as chicks and they are going to be big, but right now seem to be flighty...ugh...big scaredy birds. Hard to tell, young hens can be flighty till they age a bit and realize you aren't going to kill them. Like I said, I brooded them in a brooder did not do much handling, they all usually come around to being ok. We got a rooster from this group, a Jersey Giant Rooster to breed, going to with one Jersey hen and one RIR (we'll see what I get from that). Increasing my flock, and maybe get myself another large breed to breed with him too.
Sorry, getting off topic a bit. As for the Jerseys, if you hand raise them they supposedly will be BIG babies, from what I have been told. Their nature is supposed to be docile (well if you are a 10 pound hen do you think you would have to worry about the others picking on you?).
I have had Wyandottes, and they are friendly, quite independent birds, love to wander, had one New Hampshire Red, good bird, talkative, sort of drove us nuts, but nice. Had full size americaunas, flighty birds, nice looking, but found them ornery to each other, we had a serious pecking and attacking problem within their ranks, we caught one hen standing on anothers neck, guess they have this gene, a "terminator gene" that can pop up....nice, we got rid of those. Had the Black Sexlinks, hens, with the red on the chest, nice birds, easy going, good layers, nice to look at too.
Last but not least, if you're looking for just a pet like bird, a cochin. Feather footed, our son brought us a banty feather footed cochin, little gray thing, would follow me around talking to me, and if I stood still long enough it would stand on my foot. Loved to be held, chirped happily when you held it. So terribly cute but got lonely when its companion (a little seabright) got taken by something that got into the barn at night, it was so sad, then stood there making a sad long "peeeep"....bantys are not good for country settings unless tightly kept, we made our son come get it to live with the other bantys they had. Full on cochins, to my understanding are just good for pets, not good layers at all.
My last suggestion to any beginners, look into all the hatchery sites. They have good info on what birds are best for what. You can even call them and talk to them about it all. If you ordered chicks directly from them, you have to buy at least 25 at a time, not a good idea for first timers, and not during cold months (most will die in shipment via USPS). Getting chicks at local feed stores is best.