We went to the Empire State Building late at night (maybe 11 or 11:30). We walked down after we saw Jersey Boys. It was perfect because there were no lines....but you could see all the ropes for the queues, and they went on forever!!
LOVE this part of town - such a great vibe... combo of hipster, hippy and just overall one of the coolest places I've ever been. Been years since I was in the city, so I've forgotten restaurants, but you can stumble into spot there and have a very New York experience ;)