Income Per Class A Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Income Per Share [Abstract]
Income from continuing operations, net of income attributable to noncontrolling interests	$ 252,882	$ 196,578	$ 150,880	$ 289,763
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2,475	(364)	3,191	15,815
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	255,357	196,214	154,071	305,578
Preferred unit distributions	(20,412)	(20,414)	(40,824)	(39,910)
Net income attributable to Class A unitholders	234,945	175,800	113,247	265,668
Earnings allocated to unvested participating securities	(1,059)	(1,183)	(1,412)	(1,781)
Numerator for basic income per Class A unit	233,886	174,617	111,835	263,887
Convertible preferred unit distributions	22	23	0	47
Numerator for diluted income per Class A unit	$ 233,908	$ 174,640	$ 111,835	$ 263,934
Denominator for basic income per Class A unit - weighted average units (in shares)	200,369	199,038	200,220	198,857
Effect of dilutive securities - Vornado stock options and restricted unit awards (in Units)	1,564	1,750	1,601	1,930
Effect of dilutive securities - Convertible preferred units (in Units)	42	45	0	46
Denominator for diluted income per Class A unit - weighted average units and assumed conversions (in shares)	201,975	200,833	201,821	200,833
INCOME PER CLASS A UNIT - BASIC:
Income from continuing operations, net (in dollars per share)	$ 1.16	$ 0.88	$ 0.54	$ 1.25
Income from discontinued operations, net (in dollars per share)	0.01	0	0.02	0.08
Net income per Class A unit (in dollars per share)	1.17	0.88	0.56	1.33
INCOME PER CLASS A UNIT - DILUTED:
Income from continuing operations, net (in dollars per share)	1.15	0.87	0.54	1.23
Income from discontinued operations, net (in dollars per share)	0.01	0	0.01	0.08
Net income per Class A unit (in dollars per share)	$ 1.16	$ 0.87	$ 0.55	$ 1.31