Best walkaround zoom lens (any brand, DX or FX) for Nikon DX camera?

At the moment, my "common focal lengths" lens is the Nikon 18-55mm kit lens. It would be nice to get something with some more length (At least 70mm but preferably longer). Having 18mm is nice, but a little less wide wouldn't be a big issue. I'd also like it if it were possible to get a wider aperture. Obviously I'd rather have a low price, minimal weight and great image quality but I know you can't have everything. What do you think is my best option if I had, say, a max budget of a little over a thousand dollars.

I'd go for the 18-200mm, it's very compact and has the combined abilities of 18-55 and 55-200.

http://www.amazon.com/...B002JCSV8A

In fact, I was also thinking of the 18-200mm.

Some reviews call it a a high quality lens with flexible capabilities. I think you will find that it has better performance than the 18-55. I have seen that image quality at 200mm, under very specific circumstances is not always perfect. The price will be around the 700USD mark. It is apparently a popular lens and I own one myself

The best single lens solution for a DX camera would be the 18-200 mm. The best single lens solution for an FX camera would be the 28-300 mm lens

In the world of photography, most of us end up with from three to ten different lenses depending upon our assignments. Sports photographers usually have the most lenses and cameras. Portrait and wedding photographers can get along with three in a pinch

18-55mm is perfectly fine for me. I do walk a lot to get the right angle anyway so walking to zoom in or out is just normal too.

My walk around lens on dx is the Nikon18-200vr. On film, I used the 24-85 f/2.8-4 a lot, but I also had an older Tamron 28-200 (I think).It was not much of a good lens, though, and I didn't cry when it got run over by a car. The newer ones are better than my old version I hear.