The strip malls and plazas along NY 434 become progressively larger in size as the highway heads east, leading to two large shopping malls at a junction with Sycamore Street about east of the hamlet of Vestal. The pair of plazas feature several national chain stores, such as Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, and Lowe's, and a handful of others are located nearby at various points along NY 434. Continuing on, the route reaches the campus of Binghamton University, located adjacent to a trumpet interchange that links NY 434 to NY 201, a north–south freeway connecting the college to Johnson City on the north bank of the Susquehanna. The route remains on an easterly path to the edge of the campus, where it turns southeast to directly run alongside the river for the first time. At this point, the businesses begin to taper off, giving way to dense residential neighborhoods as the road crosses into the Binghamton city limits.