Consider buying a reflector telescope. Try a refractor model. The long tube on a tripod most of us are familiar with is called a refractor telescope because it relies on a glass lens at the end of a tube to refract and thereby focus the light from the night sky into an eyepiece at the other end of the tube. Good refractor telescopes can show you crisp, bright images without much distortion. Unfortunately, a truly good refractor can cost more than an entry-level budget allows, and its straightforward design means the tube can be so long that it's not convenient to move.
Newtonian scopes are excellent entry-level choices, especially with a basic Dobsonian mount.
Dobsonian telescope tubes are set into a wood platform base, instead of the more familiar tripod. Star clusters resolve into tiny jewels of light rather than the nondescript smudges seen in lesser instruments. Most manufacturers sell telescope packages that include all that good stuff. These telescopes combine a lens and multiple reflecting mirrors. You'll recognize them instantly when you're shopping because they have short, stubby tubes.