This week in the Istaverse: Chicago was all about Pride Week, PETA protesters and Manhattan Expats occupied DC, the arrest of a fugitive that had been on the run for 16 years in Boston, NYC celebrated the legalization of gay marriage, a pot dispensary hold up ends badly for the perpetrator in LA, families are leaving San Francisco in droves, heat averse 'dillos were found in Austin, and in Shanghaii, a food blogger met an untimely end after trashing a local restaurant. more ›

Recapping the week that was in Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, Shanghai, Washington DC, New York City and Seattle. more ›

DCist had a fine time poking fun at its neighbors to the north and south this week, as a non-descript group of large white letters spelling out "LOVE"; in Dupont Circle ended up being an advertisement for Virginia tourism, Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors came up with some truly unoriginal names for several new Metro stations, and Maryland's Preakness Stakes unveiled "Kegasus" -- a marketing abomination that might just signal the end of civilization as we know it. more ›

Elsewhere in the land of the ists: In San Francisco, a game publishing company publicity stunt went awry. Anti-gay Christians reared their heads in Shanghai. Some signs of life in the Prop 8 fight in Los Angeles. DC compared its local food scene to Philadelphia's. And much more. more ›

From the other -ists this week: Gothamist discovered Mayor Blomberg's shameful beer-drinking secret, Chicagoist is getting ready for the mayoral election with Rahm Emanuel's campaign email to city workers, DCist was annoyed when the head of the Metro said late night riders shouldn't be drunk, and more more ›

What else happened in the ist-a-verse this week? Shanghaiist showed that the Groupon ads weren't well received in China, either. LAist wondered about the karma of a man who died from wounds suffered by a cockfighting rooster. Bostonist welcomed its new "green" train. Gothamist looked at more problems between cops and cyclists. and SFist rubbed their good weather in midwesterners' faces. more ›

What's going on elsewhere in the Ist-a-verse? Read on for snow, Rahm Emanuel drama, old bathhouse action, that guy with the ice cream cone and more. more ›

Wondering what else went down in the world of the Ist blogs? Read on. more ›

We learned a lesson this week at Bostonist: People like pictures of people freezing their nether regions off by swimming outdoors in January. That sort of sporty fun set the tone this week as the Shaqonteur chatted up Letterman and Bill Buckner became the new manager of the independent Brockton Rox baseball team. We also think the Celtics are strong with the force. more ›

• DCist reported live from the Democratic National Convention.
• Bostonist tasted the best heirloom tomatoes in the city.
• Torontoist featured some of their favorite photos of an extraordinary summer for the city's weather, with huge storm clouds, apocalyptic sunsets, double rainbows, and stunning lightning strikes the norm rather than the exception.

• Torontoist featured video of an absolutely insane series of explosions at a propane facility in the north end of the city last weekend.
• Despite an eventful week at the Olympics, Phillyist focused on local, Philadelphia teams.
• Seattlest, freshly aware of their "Junior High Readability Level," implemented a new weekly feature spotlighting a local they’re totes crushing on. First up, a guy they met at the Seattle Tattoo Expo.

• Gothamist watched a series of civil disobedience events, protesting the Sean Bell shooting verdict, unfold across the city--over 200 people, including the Reverend Al Sharpton, were arrested. Somewhat related, on behalf of a black freelance reporter for the NY Post, the NYCLU sued the city and NYPD for racial profiling.
• Phillyist took a look at how city employees are bankrupting Philadelphia. Not that they need more cops on the streets there or anything.
• Seattlest wondered what it means when we see shoes flung over power lines.