Esplanade at Azario
If you've spent any time looking at newer Florida communities, the architecture at Azario will probably look familiar.
If you've spent any time looking at newer Florida communities, the architecture at Azario will probably look familiar.
Esplanade at Azario is one of the larger newer communities in Lakewood Ranch, with attached villas, single-family homes, golf and a long list of amenities.
Azario is divided into two neighborhoods: Esplanade at Azario and Park East at Azario. This page is about Esplanade.
One thing that's easy to confuse: Esplanade at Azario is not the original Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch. They're completely separate communities in different parts of Lakewood Ranch, and each has its own 18-hole golf course.
Esplanade at Azario is also all ages, not 55+. Since the Esplanade name is sometimes associated with 55+ communities in Florida, that's worth pointing out.
If you've spent any time looking at newer Florida communities, the architecture at Azario will probably look familiar. There's a definite Mediterranean influence with stucco, tile roofs, palms and plenty of landscaping. Lakes and the golf course provide open views throughout the neighborhood.
It's also big. There are multiple sections and several different home collections, and construction is still underway. Some areas feel established while others still feel very much like new construction.
Attached villas generally start in the $400s. There are also detached villas and several collections of single-family homes, generally starting in the $600s and going well over $1 million. Pools, larger homesites and golf or water views can push those numbers higher.
You don't have to leave Esplanade for much of the recreation. There's an 18-hole golf course, resort-style pool, fitness and wellness facilities, sports courts, walking trails, dog parks and the Bahama Bar for food and drinks.
Outside the gates, Azario sits farther east in Lakewood Ranch than people sometimes realize. Lorraine Road and State Road 70 are the main routes back toward shopping, restaurants and medical services. Lakewood Ranch Main Street, Waterside Place and I-75 are all a drive from here rather than right around the corner.
That's worth looking at on a map if you're comparing Azario with other Lakewood Ranch communities.
Esplanade is a good example of why the amenity list matters when you're choosing a neighborhood. There are a lot of amenities here, and they're part of what you're paying for. If you're going to use the pool, fitness facilities, golf and social activities, that can be a big plus. If you won't, the long list may not mean much to you.
Golf also needs a little more investigation than simply seeing a golf course on the map. Some properties have deeded golf membership, meaning the membership goes with the property. Other listings don't mention golf membership at all. I'd verify the membership and associated fees for the individual home before we even go look at it.
Taylor Morrison is also still building in Esplanade, so you'll find far more new construction and builder inventory than resales right now. But I wouldn't automatically assume new is the better deal. A resale may already have a pool, window treatments, landscaping and other improvements the first owner paid to add.
Azario gives you a wide range of choices, from attached villas in the $400s to single-family homes well over $1 million. You get newer construction, golf and a substantial amenity package.
The tradeoff is that you're farther east in Lakewood Ranch.
Whether that's a problem depends entirely on how you live. If you spend most of your time in Lakewood Ranch and like having so much available inside your own community, it may not bother you at all. If you're regularly heading toward Sarasota, I-75 or the older parts of Lakewood Ranch, I'd want you to drive it before deciding the house is perfect.
Lakewood Ranch covers a very large area now. Where you are within it matters.
That's how I'd look at Azario: what are you actually getting, what will you actually use, and does the location work for your everyday life?
I focus on Bradenton real estate, helping buyers and sellers navigate the local market with confidence. I also work with clients in nearby areas like Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota -when that’s where the right fit is.
