Classical's Rock Star Hits Road

San Francisco, Boston lead pack of beauty-obsessed locales

(NEWSER) - Which American cities work the hardest to look hot? The Daily Beast took the 25 cities that claim the highest percentages of residents who belong to gyms, and ranked the top 20, taking into account body mass figures and spending on "personal care"—at drugstores, salons, and other beauty centers. The results:

1. San Francisco: Residents spend $111 monthly on personal care, 50.3% aren't overweight, and 20.4% are gym members.
2. Boston: At 23.2%, more belong to gyms than in SF, but residents only spend $106 each month on personal care

Head to Beantown, Portland, San Francisco...

(USER SUBMITTED) - For those looking to raise their kids in the safest possible urban environment, the Sun Belt may not be the place. Underwriters Labs has published a list of the 10 safest cities in the US for parents with children, and it's an eclectic one that includes both New York City and Louisville, Ky., along with both coasts (Boston, Virginia Beach, San Francisco, Portland) and the Midwest (Minneapolis, Columbus). But only one Sun Belt City made the cut: Tampa. More»

Municipalities in Texas, Ohio make the list

(NEWSER) - It might not shock you to discover that San Francisco has the largest concentration of gays and lesbians in America, but you might be a bit more surprised to learn that Columbus, Ohio, comes in at No. 16, ahead of Los Angeles (No. 18) and Miami (No. 20). The Daily Beast runs down the 20 cities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples:

• San Francisco: Ranks No. 1 with 12.4 same-sex couples per thousand households, 60% of which are men.

Daily Beast ranks America's pot-loving locales

(NEWSER) - In honor of today's date, 4/20—and the pot-steeped lore of those numbers—the Daily Beast has ranked the nation's 40 "highest cities," where weed culture reigns supreme. To read the full list and see how it was compiled, click here . The top 10:

1. Eureka, California
2. Tallahassee, Florida
3. Manhattan
4. Boston
5. San Francisco

Gustavo Dudamel takes up baton at leading American orchestra

(NEWSER) - The Los Angeles Philharmonic greeted its new music director yesterday with waves, cheers, and bursts of brass and strings, and cameras tailed the new boss as he hugged his principal musicians. It wasn't a standard first day, but Gustavo Dudamel of Venezuela isn't a standard maestro—he's only 28 years old, and classical music fans are hoping his youth will bring a new generation into the field. Dudamel says he's unafraid of the pressure: "I'm doing what I love to do. This is part of my natural life." More»