Income Per Share/Income Per Class A Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Numerator:
Income from continuing operations, net of income attributable to noncontrolling interests	$ 17,494	$ 194,150
Loss from discontinued operations	0	(128)
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	17,494	194,022
Preferred share dividends / unit distributions	(12,531)	(12,534)
NET INCOME attributable to common shareholders / Class A unitholders	4,963	181,488
Earnings allocated to unvested participating securities	(51)	(19)
Numerator for basic income (loss) per share / per Class A unit	4,912	181,469
Convertible preferred share dividends / unit distributions	0	15
Numerator for diluted income (loss) per share	$ 4,912	$ 181,484
Denominator:
Denominator for basic income per share - weighted average shares (in shares)	191,038	190,689
Vornado employee stock options and restricted share / unit awards (in shares)	75	271
Convertible preferred shares/units	0	36
Denominator for diluted income (loss) per share - weighted average shares and assumed conversions (in shares)	191,113	190,996
INCOME PER COMMON SHARE - BASIC:
Net income per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.03	$ 0.95
INCOME PER COMMON SHARE - DILUTED:
Net income per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.03	$ 0.95
Vornado Realty L.P.
Numerator:
Income from continuing operations, net of income attributable to noncontrolling interests	$ 17,884	$ 206,361
Loss from discontinued operations	0	(137)
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	17,884	206,224
Preferred share dividends / unit distributions	(12,572)	(12,575)
NET INCOME attributable to common shareholders / Class A unitholders	5,312	193,649
Earnings allocated to unvested participating securities	(4,918)	(1,147)
Numerator for basic income (loss) per share / per Class A unit	394	192,502
Convertible preferred share dividends / unit distributions	0	15
Numerator for diluted income (loss) per Class A unit	$ 394	$ 192,517
Denominator:
Denominator for basic income (loss) per Class A unit – weighted average units (in shares)	203,370	202,772
Vornado employee stock options and restricted share / unit awards (in shares)	146	536
Convertible preferred shares/units	0	36
Denominator for diluted income (loss) per Class A unit - weighted average units and assumed conversions	203,516	203,344
INCOME PER CLASS A UNIT - BASIC:
Net income per Class A unit (in dollars per unit)	$ 0	$ 0.95
INCOME PER CLASS A UNIT - DILUTED:
Net income per Class A unit (in dollars per unit)	$ 0	$ 0.95