It proceeds east along Western Avenue, which is a two-lane residential street, and then turns north at a junction with the Schoharie Plank Road.

Retaining the Western Avenue name, NY 397 passes west of Bozenkill Park and crosses into the town of Guilderland.

[3] Running along the northwestern side of the Orchard Green Golf Course, the route passes the entrance near the junction with Becker Road.

At this junction, NY 397 turns northward, winding past multiple homes before reaching the hamlet of Dunnsville.

The plank road, which was incorporated in 1849 and abandoned in 1866,[4] ran from the village of Schoharie east to meet with the First Great Western Turnpike in the town of Guilderland.