Cabrini Boulevard spans the Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 neighborhood of Hudson Heights, running from West 177th Street in the south, near the George Washington Bridge

George Washington Bridge

The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...

, to Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA. It is situated on a 67 acre ridge in Upper Manhattan, with a commanding view of the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, the New Jersey Palisades and the Harlem River...

 in the north, along an escarpment

Escarpment

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...

 of Manhattan schist

Manhattan schist

The Manhattan schist is a formation of mica schist rock that underlies much of the island of Manhattan in New York City. It is well suited for the foundations of tall buildings, and the two large concentrations of skyscrapers on the island occur in locations where the formation is close to the...

 overlooking the Henry Hudson Parkway

Henry Hudson Parkway

The Henry Hudson Parkway is an long parkway in New York City. The southern terminus is at West 72nd Street in Manhattan, where the parkway continues south as the West Side Highway. It is often erroneously referred to as the West Side Highway throughout its entire course in Manhattan...

 and the Hudson River

Hudson River

The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

. It is the westernmost city street in the neighborhood except for a one block loop formed by Chittenden Avenue and West 187th Street

187th Street (Manhattan)

187th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which crosses Washington Heights, running from Laurel Hill Terrace in the east, to Chittenden Avenue in the west, near the George Washington Bridge and the Hudson River. The street is interrupted by a long set of stairs east of...

.

Cabrini Boulevard was originally named Northern Avenue. It was renamed for Mother Cabrini

Mother Cabrini

Saint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C., , also called Mother Cabrini, was the first citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...

, the first American canonized as a Roman Catholic Saint

Saint

A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

, in 1938, the year she was beatified. (She was canonized in 1946.) Her remains are enshrined at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine

St. Frances Cabrini Shrine

The St. Frances Cabrini Shrine, located in Washington Heights, northern Manhattan, New York, is adjacent to Mother Cabrini High School, which is at 701 Fort Washington Avenue. The shrine is dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who in 1946 became the first American citizen to be canonized by the...

, 701 Fort Washington Avenue

Fort Washington Avenue (Manhattan)

Fort Washington Avenue is a major north-south street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. It runs from Fort Tryon Park to 159th Street, where it intersects with Broadway. It goes past Bennett Park, the highest natural point in Manhattan. Famous residents of Fort Washington Avenue...

, just east of Cabrini Boulevard.

Cabrini Boulevard is the site of two historic affordable housing

Affordable housing

Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...

 developments in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, both by real estate developer Charles Paterno

Charles V. Paterno

Dr. Charles V. Paterno was a New York City real estate developer. His work includes the following Manhattan residences:* Castle Village* Hudson View Gardens* The Colosseum* The Paterno...

. Hudson View Gardens, started in 1923 is one of the oldest housing cooperative

Housing cooperative

A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...

s in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The architectural plan

Architectural plan

An architectural plan is a plan for architecture, and the documentation of written and graphic descriptions of the architectural elements of a building project including sketches, drawings and details.- Overview :...

 of Castle Village

Castle Village

Castle Village is a cooperative apartment complex located in the Hudson Heights neighborhood of the Washington Heights area of New York City. The buildings are among the many resident-owned apartment buildings in Hudson Heights...

 was copied in most of New York City's post-war

Post-war

A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...

 social housing.