Investments in Partially Owned Entities (Urban Edge Properties and PREIT Associates L.P.) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
Jan. 15, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Urban Edge Properties [Member]
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Operating Partnership Units Received From Buyer	5,717,184
Equity method ownership percentage	5.40%
Pennsylavenia Real Estate Investment Trust [Member]
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity method ownership percentage		8.10%
Payments for tenant improvements and allowances		$ 19,000,000
Pennsylavenia Real Estate Investment Trust [Member] \| Retail Springfield Mall [Member] \| Retail Segment Regional Malls [Member]
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Operating Partnership Units Received From Buyer		6,250,000
Square Footage Of Real Estate Property		1,350,000
Gross proceeds from sale of real estate		485,313,000
Cash Proceeds from sale of real estate		340,000,000
Operating Partnership Units Value		145,313,000
Operating Partnership Unis Value Per Unit		$ 23.25
Payments for tenant improvements and allowances		$ 19,000,000

Area of a real estate property.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AreaOfRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Net cash outflow for the allowance granted to lessee and/or direct costs incurred by lessor used to prepare the leased premises for tenant's occupancy; for costs that are essential to originating the lease and would not otherwise have been incurred without the lease agreement, including but not limited to, evaluating the lessee's credit condition, guarantees, and collateral and costs incurred in negotiating, processing, and executing the lease agreement; and for any commission(s) incurred.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Cash received for the sale of real estate that is not part of an investing activity during the current period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 12

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Definition

This element represents gross proceeds from the sale of real estate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vno_GrossProceedsFromSaleOfRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	vno_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of Operating Partnership Units Received From Buyer

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vno_OperatingPartnershipUnitsReceivedFromBuyer
Namespace Prefix:	vno_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total monetary value of operating partnership units.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vno_OperatingPartnershipUnitsValue
Namespace Prefix:	vno_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The monetary value of each operating partnership unit.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vno_OperatingPartnershipUnitsValuePerUnit
Namespace Prefix:	vno_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=vno_PennsylaveniaRealEstateInvestmentTrustMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=vno_UrbanEdgePropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: