Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 673,308	$ 679,435	$ 681,699	$ 726,467	$ 686,693	$ 700,991	$ 674,007	$ 674,541	$ 2,760,909	$ 2,736,232	$ 2,702,808
Total expenses									1,886,719	2,071,663	1,890,582
Operating income									874,190	664,569	812,226
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(338,785)	423,126	118,612
Income from real estate fund									102,898	63,936	22,886
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net									(24,699)	(260,945)	148,783
Interest and debt expense									(483,190)	(493,713)	(519,157)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets other than depreciable real estate									3,407	13,347	15,134
Income before income taxes									133,821	410,320	598,484
Income tax benefit (expense)									6,406	(8,132)	(23,925)
Income from continuing operations									140,227	402,188	574,559
Income from discontinued operations									424,513	292,353	165,441
Net income									564,740	694,541	740,000
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									88,769	77,281	77,698
Net income attributable to Vornado									475,971	617,260	662,302
Interest and debt expense (2)									758,781	760,523	797,920
Depreciation and amortization (2)									732,757	735,293	777,421
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									26,371	7,026	4,812
EBITDA									1,993,880	2,120,102	2,242,455
Real estate at cost	18,354,626				18,238,218				18,354,626	18,238,218	16,421,701	16,193,864
Investments in partially owned entities	1,249,667				1,704,297				1,249,667	1,704,297	1,740,459
Total assets	20,097,224				22,065,049				20,097,224	22,065,049	20,446,487
Toys R Us [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Investments in partially owned entities	83,224				478,041				83,224	478,041
All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									23,592	408,267	70,072
Investments in partially owned entities	1,166,443				1,226,256				1,166,443	1,226,256
New York Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									1,509,266	1,354,874	1,333,280
Total expenses									926,963	851,512	841,863
Operating income									582,303	503,362	491,417
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									15,527	207,773	12,062
Income from real estate fund										0
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net									5,532	4,230	4,245
Interest and debt expense									(181,966)	(146,350)	(151,728)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets other than depreciable real estate									0	0	0
Income before income taxes									421,396	569,015	355,996
Income tax benefit (expense)									(2,794)	(3,491)	(2,084)
Income from continuing operations									418,602	565,524	353,912
Income from discontinued operations									138,245	10,610	11,155
Net income									556,847	576,134	365,067
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									10,786	2,138	10,042
Net income attributable to Vornado									546,061	573,996	355,025
Interest and debt expense (2)									236,645	187,855	181,740
Depreciation and amortization (2)									293,974	252,257	247,630
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									3,002	3,751	2,170
EBITDA									1,079,682	1,017,859	786,565
Real estate at cost	8,591,026				8,855,243				8,591,026	8,855,243	6,991,960
Investments in partially owned entities	904,278				576,336				904,278	576,336	536,393
Total assets	9,255,964				9,215,438				9,255,964	9,215,438	7,130,240
Washington DC Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									541,161	554,028	603,317
Total expenses									347,686	360,056	369,255
Operating income									193,475	193,972	234,062
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(6,968)	(5,612)	(6,381)
Income from real estate fund										0
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net									129	126	199
Interest and debt expense									(102,277)	(115,574)	(115,456)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets other than depreciable real estate									0	0	0
Income before income taxes									84,359	72,912	112,424
Income tax benefit (expense)									14,031	(1,650)	(2,690)
Income from continuing operations									98,390	71,262	109,734
Income from discontinued operations									0	167,766	52,390
Net income									98,390	239,028	162,124
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to Vornado									98,390	239,028	162,124
Interest and debt expense (2)									116,131	133,625	134,270
Depreciation and amortization (2)									142,409	157,816	181,560
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									(15,707)	1,943	3,123
EBITDA									341,223	532,412	481,077
Real estate at cost	4,243,048				4,171,879				4,243,048	4,171,879	4,176,894
Investments in partially owned entities	100,543				95,670				100,543	95,670	113,536
Total assets	4,107,636				4,196,694				4,107,636	4,196,694	4,150,140
Retail Properties Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									425,716	370,177	374,482
Total expenses									251,516	324,096	215,075
Operating income									174,200	46,081	159,407
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									2,097	1,458	2,700
Income from real estate fund										0
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net									13	27	(33)
Interest and debt expense									(44,203)	(57,057)	(64,592)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets other than depreciable real estate									1,377	8,491	4,278
Income before income taxes									133,484	(1,000)	101,760
Income tax benefit (expense)									(2,311)	0	(34)
Income from continuing operations									131,173	(1,000)	101,726
Income from discontinued operations									287,536	39,357	27,557
Net income									418,709	38,357	129,283
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									3,065	(1,812)	(237)
Net income attributable to Vornado									415,644	40,169	129,520
Interest and debt expense (2)									50,901	73,828	82,608
Depreciation and amortization (2)									72,161	86,529	91,040
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									2,311	0	34
EBITDA									541,017	200,526	303,202
Real estate at cost	2,827,044				2,812,911				2,827,044	2,812,911	2,898,501
Investments in partially owned entities	6,640				7,083				6,640	7,083	7,747
Total assets	3,387,798				3,589,633				3,387,798	3,589,633	3,748,303
Toys R Us Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Income before income taxes									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Income from continuing operations									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Net income									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to Vornado									(362,377)	14,859	48,540
Interest and debt expense (2)									181,586	147,880	157,135
Depreciation and amortization (2)									135,178	135,179	134,967
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									33,532	(16,629)	(1,132)
EBITDA									(12,081)	281,289	339,510
Real estate at cost	0				0				0	0	0
Investments in partially owned entities	83,224				478,041				83,224	478,041	506,809
Total assets	83,224				478,041				83,224	478,041	506,809
Other Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									284,766	457,153	391,729
Total expenses									360,554	535,999	464,389
Operating income									(75,788)	(78,846)	(72,660)
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									12,936	204,648	61,691
Income from real estate fund									102,898	63,936	22,886
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net									(30,373)	(265,328)	144,372
Interest and debt expense									(154,744)	(174,732)	(187,381)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets other than depreciable real estate									2,030	4,856	10,856
Income before income taxes									(143,041)	(245,466)	(20,236)
Income tax benefit (expense)									(2,520)	(2,991)	(19,117)
Income from continuing operations									(145,561)	(248,457)	(39,353)
Income from discontinued operations									(1,268)	74,620	74,339
Net income									(146,829)	(173,837)	34,986
Less net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									74,918	76,955	67,893
Net income attributable to Vornado									(221,747)	(250,792)	(32,907)
Interest and debt expense (2)									173,518	217,335	242,167
Depreciation and amortization (2)									89,035	103,512	122,224
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									3,233	17,961	617
EBITDA									44,039	88,016	332,101
Real estate at cost	2,693,508				2,398,185				2,693,508	2,398,185	2,354,346
Investments in partially owned entities	154,982				547,167				154,982	547,167	575,974
Total assets	$ 3,262,602				$ 4,585,243				$ 3,262,602	$ 4,585,243	$ 4,910,995