New York City

Often film sequels are slam dunks at the box office, a seamless continuation from where a previous hit left off. But as the new installment of the 15-year-old franchise "Men in Black" proves, getting to the big screen isn't always a cakewalk. One of the most troubled productions in recent Hollywood memory, Sony Pictures' latest movie in the Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones sci-fi-comedy franchise encountered multiple script rewrites, a discontented star and a three-month production shutdown as writers and studio executives scrambled to fix a project that nearly fell apart . By the time it was over, the studio had run up a tab of nearly $250 million - making "Men in Black 3" one of the most expensive releases of the summer.

NEW YORK - A New Jersey man who was a teenage store clerk when 6-year-old Etan Patz vanished 33 years ago Friday told police he lured the boy into the store with promises of a soda, strangled him, then dumped the body into an alley - a dramatic confession that could solve one of the country's most chilling missing-child mysteries. New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, speaking at a news conference Thursday night, said Pedro Hernandez, 51, of Maple Shade, N.J., had spoken to investigators for more than three hours, that his confession had been videotaped, and that Hernandez had told people over the years that he'd been involved in a horrible crime.

Teas from across the globe are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. One relative newcomer, yerba mate, is attracting fans for its allegedly jitter-free caffeine boost and high antioxidant content. Lab research suggests some potential health benefits from drinking yerba mate, but studies of lifelong yerba mate drinkers in the tea's native South America suggest the brew increases the risk of some cancers -- a fact most marketing campaigns omit.

Fleet Week , which has been a New York City tradition since 1984, starts Wednesday (that's today) with a parade of tall ships and war ships that will be docked and open to the public through Tuesday. Members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will be aboard ships and participating in parachute jumps and other equipment demonstrations. There are lots of free activities to go and see. In honor of Fleet Week, Gray Line New York honors all military personnel in uniform with a free tour of Manhattan on its double-decker buses.  The deal: Members of the military (all branches, not just sailors and Marines)

A Bangladeshi immigrant paid a record $360,000 at a city auction for a New York taxi medallion, which is required by the city to own a taxicab. Most cabdrivers in the city work for taxi fleets or lease time from a medallion owner. Mohammed Shah, 44, mortgaged his house in the New York borough of Queens to help finance the purchase Monday of one of 116 new taxi medallions sold to the highest bidders. The price of an owner-driver medallion rose almost $50,000 from last year.

If I had a dollar for every time a writer sold New York City's future down the tubes, New York would be forever free of fiscal problems. George Will's column ("Manhattan Dreams and Nightmares," Commentary, May 26) reminded me of the woeful evangelist who endlessly walks the streets with a worn placard that reads "The End Is Near." Will heralds the apocalypse with such exotic fervor that I feel compelled to respond, not only as a governor of New York, but as a son of the city, whose hometown has just been demeaned.

A five-day trip to New York City in October is available through Solo Flights, a company that specializes in tours for single travelers.

Campus Holidays USA is offering to arrange clean, safe, economical accommodations in the New York City area for young travelers in the residences at Stevens University. The campus is in the suburb of Hoboken, just two stops by metro from Greenwich Village. A few rooms are available all year, while the majority can be used by tourists from late May until the end of August. Single rooms (without en suite washrooms) start at $30 a night; twin rooms are $22 per person.

The following reviews are excerpted from Zagat Surveys, a series of regional dining and lodging guides based on extensive ratings and reviews contributed by local restaurant-goers and frequent travelers. Ratings for food, decor and service are based on a numerical scale: 0-9, poor to fair; 10-19, good to very good; 20-25, very good to excellent; 26-30, extraordinary to perfect. Estimated cost is for a dinner, drink and tip for one person.

Rob Santana is a postal worker and an amateur filmmaker from New Jersey who was fascinated by the orange glow cast by the World Trade Center at sunset. And almost two years ago, he had the day off for his birthday. It was Sept. 11. The footage he took after terrorists had flown two hijacked planes into the twin towers shows the horror and the hope that ensued. For, as we know, the buildings collapsed but the city of New York did not. Santana, of course, is not alone.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge to New York City's famed rent-control ordinance, a post-World War II housing measure that limits the rents of more than a million apartments. The court's refusal Monday to hear the case is a setback for property rights activists, who had hoped a more conservative court would protect landlords and a free market in rentals. For decades, critics have said rent-control laws deny property owners the right to fully profit from their investments.

THE BEST WAY TO NEW YORK From LAX , Delta, American, JetBlue, United and Virgin America offer nonstop service to New York, and US Airways, Delta, American and United offer connecting service. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $348. WHERE TO STAY Hotel Wolcott, 4 W. 31st St.; (212) 268-2900, http://www.wolcott.com . It's not glamorous, and for three days the eighth-floor hallway smelled faintly of cleaning products, but the location is good and, for Manhattan, the price is great.

Everywhere they turned, the career paths for Magic Johnson and Larry Bird crossed each other. They first met in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State. The players carried that rivalry to the NBA with the Lakers and Celtics. And each continuously tracked the other's progress as a way to measure his own. They initially hated each other. But then they loved each other, out of respect for their talents, their work ethic, their Midwestern roots.

A craft beer frenzy has taken over Los Angeles in recent years with gastropubs and eateries specializing in artisanal brews popping up across the city. Beer tasting is the new wine tasting, and Saturday's fourth annual Los Angeles Beer Festival invites beer enthusiasts and novices alike to kick off the holiday weekend with food, music and of course, a few brewskis. Local event company DrinkEatPlay has moved this year's fest from its previous home at Sony Studios in Culver City to Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, where the studio's famed New York City street backlot will be transformed into a springtime block party for an expected 8,000 revelers.

Donald Trump is so annoying that it's extra annoying when he gets something right. Nonetheless, here's what Hotel Chatter had to say about the 46-story Trump SoHo New York when it opened two years ago: "Undeniably Trump but the spacious rooms, Fendi furniture, Hudson River views and giant soaking tubs have won us over. " Now Trump SoHo at 246 Spring St. has a one-day sale that discounts the pricey room rates and throws in a few cocktails too. You have to stay two nights, but with those views, who wouldn't want to?

In a tense meeting Wednesday that highlighted growing tensions over the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, city commissioners here passed a vote of no confidence in the police chief, as protests spread north to New York City, where the slain youth's parents joined a march demanding the killer's arrest. The no-confidence measure passed 3 to 2 after more than an hour of debate. Though it was not binding, the outcome and the public groans and applause that punctuated the debate underscored the anger pulsing through the Orlando suburb nearly a month after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's death on Feb. 26. Most of that anger is focused on the fact that the admitted shooter, 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who has been described as both Latino and white, has not been arrested.

Americans spend billions on hair-care products each year, a remarkable investment for a part of the body with no real function. We clean it, nourish it and style it -- and we definitely mourn its loss. Lots of products and procedures promise to restore thinning or disappearing hair. One especially intriguing option is the HairMax LaserComb, a hand-held laser device that supposedly revives hair follicles.

The New York City Council passed an antiwar resolution following passionate debate about whether the action is anti-American. The City Council voted 31 to 17 to oppose war with Iraq except as a last resort. "With our economy in peril, a war in Iraq will drain urgently needed resources for our cities, our suburbs and our small towns," said Council Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins, who sponsored the legislation. "And there is the human price of war."

Philip Kuchma brightens as he drives past a vacant lot in Bridgeport, Connecticut's most populated — and poorest — city. "When you see open land like this, it's just such an opportunity," the longtime local developer said. "It could be used for attractive cottages with people walking to the waterfront. " Kuchma, 61, peers through rimless glasses as he gives a tour of his hometown. But you have to wonder: Are the glasses really working? The city is full of abandoned factories and derelict Victorian homes.

Swamps aren't very sexy. Dank places filled with slithering creatures don't scream tourism, unless you're from Louisiana. So how would one fare in New York City? "Swamps in Louisiana have tremendous adventure-travel opportunities," says Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne. On Wednesday, he flew to un-gator-like Manhattan to oversee the installation of a 12,100-cubic-foot re-creation of a Louisiana swamp built inside the city's bustling Chelsea Market. The exhibit is free and might be a good way to sample the bayou before going to visit.