by Geoff Cobb 
A lot of local history is quickly disappearing, but one place that is holding strong is Brooklyn Label (180 Franklin St.) and the historic building it calls home. French Greenpointer Robert Arbor, proprietor of Le Gamin (108 Franklin St.) re-opened Brooklyn Label in the historic Astral Building. The former management did little to recognize the amazing history of the space, something that Arbor has dedicated himself to changing.
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Wonderful to hear of the concern for this great building NAACP co founder name Mary White Ovington I believe.
I read somewhere that Mae West grew up in the Astral.
I have often heard this rumor. She may have lived there, but definitely did not grow up there. We have no proof she ever lived there.
To be clear, the legacy of the Astral may be grand, but it’s a complete and total tenement now. It’s run by notorious slumlord Pistilli Realty and pockmarked with leaks, vermin, poor construction, and a super who, well, let the article speak for itself: https://gawker.com/310904/is-your-super-not-fixing-the-bathroom-because-hes-busy-making-softcore-porn