I read the word esplanade might not common anymore, so I would like to ask a synonym used commonly for it?
Can I name it as a coast-road, a road made by concrete or chemicals by sea that for only walking or cycling ?
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Esplanade does have an old-fashioned ring to it, but only by association with old-fashioned seaside towns. if you happen to live in, or be visiting, an old-fashioned seaside town, it's a perfectly satisfactory word to use.
The word promenade seems about right:
A paved public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort.
The word corniche could also be used, but the official definition doesn't quite fit:
A road cut into the edge of a cliff, especially one running along a coast.
The term coast-road is probably a bit too general: it could be applied to any road that runs along a coast. The one that immediately springs to mind would be route 101, which is definitely not just for walking or cycling.
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To my ear, promenade is just as old-fashioned as esplanade. So far as I'm concerned, seafront is completely current, and accurate enough. – FumbleFingers Dec 21 '16 at 14:21
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@FumbleFingers: agreed about promenade but, as I said, I think that esplanade is also OK. This definition of seafront en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/seafront doesn't really fit the idea of a road ... made only for walking or cycling, but I'm inclined to agree with you if it's just as a general description of where you walked. – JavaLatte Dec 21 '16 at 14:27
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Obviously for those learners who have the time and energy to learn everything about English (including, but not limited to overtones of "old-fashioned rings"; it's sometimes feasible to park your car on an esplanade, but never on a promenade), it could be worth knowing how to use all three words. But for those who I assume are the majority coming here to ELL, it's more a matter of alerting them to the fact that if they're only going to learn one of these words, they should learn seafront and use it for all relevant senses. – FumbleFingers Dec 21 '16 at 14:41
