Noncontrolling Interests on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2012 $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) unit	Mar. 31, 2016 shares	Aug. 31, 2015 shares	Jul. 31, 2015 shares	Jun. 30, 2015 shares	Feb. 28, 2015 shares	Aug. 31, 2014 shares
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Balance at beginning of period | $				$ 424,206,000
Net income | $		$ 1,663,000	$ 6,467,000	8,171,000	$ 6,634,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income allocation | $		118,000	(191,000)	(257,000)	(349,000)
Balance at end of period | $		$ 490,440,000		$ 490,440,000		$ 424,206,000
Number of company common stock issued on conversion of Series B preferred units				6.71348
SL Green Operating Partnership
Organization
Noncontrolling interest in the operating partnership (as a percent)		4.29%		4.29%		3.61%
Number of units of operating partnership owned by the noncontrolling interest unit holders (shares)		4,495,410		4,495,410		3,745,766
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		4,495,410.00		4,495,410.00
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Balance at beginning of period | $				$ 424,206,000	469,524,000	$ 469,524,000
Distributions | $				(9,245,000)		(9,710,000)
Issuance of common units | $				75,352,000		30,506,000
Redemption of common units | $				(12,746,000)		(55,697,000)
Net income | $				8,171,000		10,565,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income allocation | $		$ 118,000	$ (191,000)	(257,000)	$ (349,000)	(67,000)
Fair value adjustment | $				4,959,000		(20,915,000)
Balance at end of period | $		$ 490,440,000		$ 490,440,000		$ 424,206,000
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series G Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares	1,902,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)	4.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)	$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 1.125
Operating partnership common stock value use for conversion of preferred units (in dollars per share)	$ 88.50
Number of company common stock issue on redemption of operation partnership common units	1
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series F Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares		60		60
Mandatory liquidation preference (in dollars per share) | $		$ 1,000.00		$ 1,000.00
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series K Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares												563,954
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				0.875
Operating partnership common stock value use for conversion of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 134.67		$ 134.67
Preferred Units, shares authorized | shares		700,000		700,000
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series L Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares												378,634
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				4.00%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 1.00
Preferred Units, shares authorized | shares		500,000		500,000
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series M Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares											1,600,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.75%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 0.9375
Preferred Units, shares authorized | shares		1,600,000		1,600,000
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series N Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares										552,303
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.00%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 0.75
Preferred Units, shares authorized | shares		552,303		552,303
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series O Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				6.25%
Preferred Units, shares authorized | shares		1		1
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series P Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		200,000		200,000
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares									200,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				4.00%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 1.00
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series Q Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		268,000		268,000
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares									268,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				0.875
Operating partnership common stock value use for conversion of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 148.95		$ 148.95
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series R Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		400,000		400,000
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares								400,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				0.875
Operating partnership common stock value use for conversion of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 154.89		$ 154.89
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series S Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		1,077,280		1,077,280
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares								1,077,280
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				4.00%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 1.00
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series T Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		230,000		230,000
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares							230,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				2.75%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				0.6875
Operating partnership common stock value use for conversion of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 119.02		$ 119.02
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series U Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		680,000		680,000
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares							680,000
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				4.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 25.00		$ 25.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				1.125
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series U Preferred Units | Minimum
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 0.75
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series A Preferred Units
Organization
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon redemption of units of limited partnership interest in operating partnership (shares) | shares		109,161		109,161
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares								109,161
Dividend rate preferred units (as a percent)				3.50%
Liquidation preference of preferred units (in dollars per share)		$ 1,000.00		$ 1,000.00
Annual dividends on preferred units (in dollars per share)				$ 35.00
SL Green Operating Partnership | Series B Preferred Units
Rollforward analysis of the activity relating to the noncontrolling interests in the operating partnership
Number of preferred units issued (in shares) | shares		0		0