Street and curves to the northeast, then to the southeast as it descends to Cayuga Lake. At the base of the hill, the route crosses the Cayuga Inlet and enters downtown, where it splits into a one-way couplet along State Street (eastbound) and Seneca Street (westbound). NY 79 eastbound shifts one block south at Fulton Street (NY 13, NY 34, and NY 96 southbound) to use Green Street. The one-way couplet ends one block east of Aurora Street at the "Tuning Fork" as Green and Seneca streets merge into East State Street, recently double-named Martin Luther King Jr. Street. NY 79 follows State Street southeastward through eastern Ithaca into the town of Ithaca. The portions of NY 79 between the Ithaca west city line and NY 13A, between NY 89/96 and Meadow Street (NY 13/34/96 northbound) and between Green Street and the Ithaca east city line are maintained by the city. The portion of NY 79 east of the city limits is markedly more rural. It heads southeastward as Slaterville Road through the towns of Ithaca, Dryden, and Caroline, serving several small communities along the route. NY 79 crosses into Tioga County upon passing over the west branch of Owego Creek. Tioga, Broome, and Chenango counties NY 79's stay in Tioga County is wholly confined to the town of Richford. The routing of NY 79 in Richford is hilly and heavily rural, with the one exception being at NY 79's junction with NY 38 in the hamlet of Richford. The route heads into Broome County, where it meets U.S. Route 11 (US 11) in the town of Lisle just east of the Lisle village limits. NY 79 joins US 11 southward along the Tioughnioga River to a partial interchange with I-81 at exit 8. The overlap continues to Whitney Point, a village situated at the confluence of the Tioughnioga and Otselic Rivers. In the village, NY 79 leaves US 11 in favor of a short overlap with NY 26 across the Tioughnioga River. On the opposite bank, NY 26 and NY 79 split at a junction that also features NY 206. South of Whitney Point, NY 79 continues southeast along the Tioughnioga River to the vicinity of Chenango Forks, where it intersects NY 12. It briefly joins NY 12 along the banks of the Chenango River, then crosses the river and enters the town of Fenton. About , NY 79