Debt Instrument, Option to Extend, Number

No definition available.

Name:	esrt_DebtInstrumentOptiontoExtendNumber
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Extension Fee, Percent of Outstanding Commitments Under Revolving Credit Facility

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esrt_LineofCreditFacilityExtensionFeePercentofOutstandingCommitmentsUnderRevolvingCreditFacility
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Extension Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esrt_LineofCreditFacilityExtensionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Higher Borrowing Capacity Option

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esrt_LineofCreditFacilityHigherBorrowingCapacityOption
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Difference between the fair value of payments made and the carrying amount of debt which is extinguished prior to maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 50
-Section 40
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170532&loc=d3e12317-112629

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 50
-Section 40
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170532&loc=d3e12355-112629

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=esrt_UnsecuredRevolvingCreditFacilityAndTermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=esrt_UnsecuredRevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=esrt_TermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Debt - Unsecured Revolving Credit and Term Loan Facility (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) option	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) option	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$ 2,157,000	$ 0	$ 2,157,000	$ 552,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility	0		0			$ 0
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility And Term Loan \| Unsecured term loan facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	1,365,000,000.000		1,365,000,000.000
Unsecured revolving credit facility higher borrowing capacity option					$ 1,750,000,000.00
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility \| Unsecured term loan facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Current borrowing capacity	1,100,000,000.0		1,100,000,000.0
Unsecured revolving credit facility	$ 0		$ 0			0
Number of options to extend maturity \| option	2		2
Extension period			6 months
Term loan facility \| Unsecured term loan facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Current borrowing capacity	$ 265,000,000		$ 265,000,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility	$ 265,000,000		$ 265,000,000			$ 265,000,000
Minimum \| Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility \| Unsecured term loan facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Extension fee, as a percent of outstanding commitments under revolving credit facility			0.0625%
Maximum \| Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility \| Unsecured term loan facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Extension fee, as a percent of outstanding commitments under revolving credit facility			0.075%