Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Total	Real Estate Fund [Member]	All Other Except Real Estate Fund [Member]	Preferred Units	Class A Units Owned By Vornado	Earnings Less Than Distributions	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries Real Estate Fund [Member]	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries All Other Except Real Estate Fund [Member]
Beginning balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2010	$ 6,830,405			$ 783,088	$ 6,940,045	$ (1,480,876)	$ 73,453	$ 514,695
Beginning balance, Units at Dec. 31, 2010				32,340	183,662
Net income	740,000					718,214		21,786
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	(55,912)					(55,912)
Distributions to Vornado	(508,745)					(508,745)
Distributions to preferred unitholders	(65,694)					(65,694)
Issuance of preferred units, Units				9,850
Issuance of preferred units, Value	238,842			238,842
Class A units issued to Vornado:
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Units					798
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Value	64,830				64,830
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Units					590
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Value	10,439				23,728	(13,289)
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Units					21
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	1,772				1,772	0
Contributions:
Contributions		203,407	778						203,407	778
Distribution:
Distributions		(49,422)	(15,604)						(49,422)	(15,604)
Conversion Of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Units				(3)	5
Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Value	0			(165)	165
Deferred compensation units and options, Units					4
Deferred compensation units and options, Value	10,085				10,608	(523)
Change in unrealized net gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale	41,657						41,657
Non-cash impairment loss on J.C. Penney owned shares	0
Amounts reclassified related to sale of available-for-sale securities	(5,020)						(5,020)
Pro rata share of other comprehensive (loss) income of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	12,859						12,859
Change in value of interest rate swap	(43,704)						(43,704)
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	98,092				98,092
Redeemable partnership units' share of above adjustments	(271)						(271)
Preferred unit redemptions	5,000
Other	(347)			(105)	(4,609)	5,121	(5,245)	4,491
Ending balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2011	7,508,447			1,021,660	7,134,631	(1,401,704)	73,729	680,131
Ending balance, Units at Dec. 31, 2011				42,187	185,080
Net income	694,541					662,523		32,018
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	(45,263)					(45,263)
Distributions to Vornado	(699,318)					(699,318)
Distributions to preferred unitholders	(76,937)					(76,937)
Issuance of preferred units, Units				12,000
Issuance of preferred units, Value	290,971			290,971
Redemption of preferred units, Units				(3,000)
Redemption of preferred units, Value	(72,248)			(72,248)
Class A units issued to Vornado:
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Units					1,121
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Value	89,762				89,762
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Units					434
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Value	(6,850)				9,539	(16,389)
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Units					29
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	2,307				2,307
Upon acquisition of real estate, Units					64
Upon acquisition of real estate, Value	5,124				5,124
Contributions:
Contributions		195,029	18,103						195,029	18,103
Distribution:
Distributions		(48,138)	(59)						(48,138)	(59)
Conversion Of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Units				(2)	3
Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Value	0			(105)	105
Deferred compensation units and options, Units					4
Deferred compensation units and options, Value	13,054				13,527	(473)
Change in unrealized net gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale	(283,649)						(283,649)
Non-cash impairment loss on J.C. Penney owned shares	224,937						224,937
Amounts reclassified related to sale of available-for-sale securities	(3,582)						(3,582)
Pro rata share of other comprehensive (loss) income of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(31,758)						(31,758)
Change in value of interest rate swap	(5,659)						(5,659)
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	(52,117)				(52,117)
Redeemable partnership units' share of above adjustments	6,707						6,707
Preferred unit redemptions	8,948					8,948
Consolidation of partially owned entity	176,132							176,132
Other	(4,340)			0		(4,662)	329	(7)
Ending balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2012	7,904,144			1,240,278	7,202,878	(1,573,275)	(18,946)	1,053,209
Ending balance, Units at Dec. 31, 2012				51,185	186,735
Net income	564,740					500,788		63,952
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	(24,817)					(24,817)
Distributions to Vornado	(545,913)					(545,913)
Distributions to preferred unitholders	(82,807)					(82,807)
Issuance of preferred units, Units				12,000
Issuance of preferred units, Value	290,306			290,306
Redemption of preferred units, Units				(10,500)
Redemption of preferred units, Value	(253,269)			(253,269)		0
Class A units issued to Vornado:
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Units					299
Upon redemption of redeemable Class A units, at redemption value, Value	25,317				25,317
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Units					104
Under Vornado's Omnibus share plan, Value	5,808				5,915	(107)
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Units					22
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	1,851				1,851
Upon acquisition of real estate, Units					128
Upon acquisition of real estate, Value	11,461				11,461
Contributions:
Contributions		28,078	15,886						28,078	15,886
Distribution:
Distributions		(47,268)	(133,153)						(47,268)	(133,153)
Conversion Of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Units				(2)	3
Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Value	0			(90)	90
Deferred compensation units and options, Units					(6)
Deferred compensation units and options, Value	9,270				9,577	(307)
Change in unrealized net gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale	142,281						142,281
Non-cash impairment loss on J.C. Penney owned shares	0
Amounts reclassified related to sale of available-for-sale securities	(42,404)						(42,404)
Pro rata share of other comprehensive (loss) income of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(22,814)						(22,814)
Change in value of interest rate swap	18,183						18,183
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	(108,252)				(108,252)
Redeemable partnership units' share of above adjustments	(5,296)						(5,296)
Preferred unit redemptions	(1,130)					(1,130)
Deconsolidation of partially owned entity	(165,427)							(165,427)
Consolidation of partially owned entity	16,799							16,799
Other	(6,830)				2,472	(7,271)	533	(2,564)
Ending balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 7,594,744			$ 1,277,225	$ 7,151,309	$ (1,734,839)	$ 71,537	$ 829,512
Ending balance, Units at Dec. 31, 2013				52,683	187,285