Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Real estate fund investments	Other	Preferred Shares / Units	Common Shares	Additional Capital	Earnings Less Than Distributions	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries Real estate fund investments	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries Other	Vornado Realty L.P.	Vornado Realty L.P. Real estate fund investments	Vornado Realty L.P. Other	Vornado Realty L.P. Preferred Shares / Units	Vornado Realty L.P. Class A Units Owned by Vornado	Vornado Realty L.P. Earnings Less Than Distributions	Vornado Realty L.P. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Vornado Realty L.P. Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries	Vornado Realty L.P. Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries Real estate fund investments	Vornado Realty L.P. Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries Other
Beginning balance, Shares / Units at Dec. 31, 2015				52,677	188,577										52,677	188,577
Beginning balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 7,476,078			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,521	$ 7,132,979	$ (1,766,780)	$ 46,921	$ 778,483			$ 7,476,078			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,140,500	$ (1,766,780)	$ 46,921	$ 778,483
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	147,027						147,027					154,071					154,071
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	7,044											(7,044)					(7,044)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	22,703	$ 14,818							22,703			22,703							22,703
Dividends on common shares	(237,832)						(237,832)
Distributions to Vornado												(237,832)					(237,832)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(40,727)						(40,727)					(40,727)					(40,727)
Common shares issued: / Class A Units issued to Vornado
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Shares					195											195
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Value	18,208				$ 8	18,200						18,208				$ 18,208
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Shares					38											38
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Value	3,093				$ 1	3,092	0					3,093				$ 3,093
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Shares					8											8
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	717				$ 0	717						717				$ 717
Contributions:
Contributions	19,674								19,674			19,674							19,674
Distributions:
Distributions	(15,763)	(56,533)	$ (10,970)							$ (56,533)	$ (10,970)		$ (56,533)	$ (10,970)						$ (56,533)	$ (10,970)
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Shares					7											7
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Value	768				$ 1	953	(186)					768				$ 954	(186)
(Reduction) increase in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	39,113							39,113				39,113						39,113
Pro rata share of amounts reclassified related to a nonconsolidated subsidiary	0											0
Pro rata share of other comprehensive loss of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(622)							(622)				(622)						(622)
(Reduction) increase in value of interest rate swaps	(11,170)							(11,170)				(11,170)						(11,170)
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	(20,369)					(20,369)						(20,369)				$ (20,369)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' / parnership units' share of above adjustments	(1,685)							(1,685)				(1,685)						(1,685)
Other, Shares					1
Other	102				$ 0	(1)	(7)	(1)	111			102					(7)		111
Ending balance, Shares / Units at Jun. 30, 2016				52,677	188,826										52,677	188,826
Ending balance, Value at Jun. 30, 2016	7,347,575			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,531	7,135,571	(1,898,505)	72,556	753,468			7,347,575			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,143,102	(1,898,505)	72,556	753,468
Beginning balance, Shares / Units at Dec. 31, 2016				42,825	189,101										42,825	189,101
Beginning balance, Value at Dec. 31, 2016	7,618,496			$ 1,038,055	$ 7,542	7,153,332	(1,419,382)	118,972	719,977			7,618,496			$ 1,038,055	$ 7,160,874	(1,419,382)	118,972	719,977
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	195,982						195,982					206,917					206,917
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	10,935											(10,935)					(10,935)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	14,414	8,198							14,414			14,414							14,414
Dividends on common shares	(268,817)						(268,817)
Distributions to Vornado												(268,817)					(268,817)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(32,258)						(32,258)					(32,258)					(32,258)
Common shares issued: / Class A Units issued to Vornado
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Shares					249											249
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Value	25,562				$ 10	25,552						25,562				$ 25,562
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Shares					103											103
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Value	8,846				$ 4	8,842						8,846				$ 8,846
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Shares					8											8
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	780				$ 0	780						780				$ 780
Contributions:
Contributions	991								991			991							991
Distributions:
Distributions	(18,078)	$ (6,200)	$ (1,339)							$ (6,200)	$ (1,339)		$ (6,200)	$ (1,339)						$ (6,200)	$ (1,339)
Conversion of Series A preferred shares to common shares / Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units				(2)	2										(2)	2
Conversion of Series A preferred shares to common shares / Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Value	0			$ (44)	$ 0	44						0			$ (44)	$ 44
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Shares					2											2
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Value	791				$ 0	1,076	(285)					791				$ 1,076	(285)
(Reduction) increase in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	(16,215)							(16,215)				(16,215)						(16,215)
Pro rata share of amounts reclassified related to a nonconsolidated subsidiary	9,268							9,268				9,268						9,268
Pro rata share of other comprehensive loss of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,031)							(1,031)				(1,031)						(1,031)
(Reduction) increase in value of interest rate swaps	4,636							4,636				4,636						4,636
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	90,208					90,208						90,208				$ 90,208
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' / parnership units' share of above adjustments	207							207				207						207
Other	(91)					0	(46)	2	(47)			(91)					(46)	2	(47)
Ending balance, Shares / Units at Jun. 30, 2017				42,823	189,465										42,823	189,465
Ending balance, Value at Jun. 30, 2017	$ 7,644,230			$ 1,038,011	$ 7,556	$ 7,279,834	$ (1,524,806)	$ 115,839	$ 727,796			$ 7,644,230			$ 1,038,011	$ 7,287,390	$ (1,524,806)	$ 115,839	$ 727,796