Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property rentals	$ 519,733	$ 484,016	$ 1,018,247	$ 958,447
Straight-line rent adjustments	13,789	20,647	32,297	41,966
Amortization of acquired below-market leases, net	11,672	12,570	28,506	26,313
Total rentals	545,194	517,233	1,079,050	1,026,726
Tenant expense reimbursements	75,659	71,409	152,415	141,906
Cleveland Medical Mart development project	16,990	56,304	29,133	111,363
BMS cleaning fees	16,509	16,982	33,173	32,492
Signage Revenue	8,347	4,879	14,828	9,469
Management and leasing fees	6,435	4,546	11,693	9,300
Lease termination fees	7,129	479	67,155	890
Other income	9,595	6,151	18,390	14,164
Total Revenues	685,858	677,983	1,405,837	1,346,310
Operating expenses	261,080	243,485	520,953	489,462
Depreciation and amortization	135,486	128,372	277,570	259,767
General and administrative	54,323	46,832	108,905	102,122
Cleveland Medical Mart development project	15,151	53,935	26,525	106,696
Acquisition related costs	3,350	2,559	3,951	3,244
Total expenses	469,390	475,183	937,904	961,291
Operating income (loss)	216,468	202,800	467,933	385,019
Income from partially owned entities	(35,389)	(6,627)	(12,864)	129,504
Income from real estate fund	34,470	20,301	51,034	32,063
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net	26,416	(49,172)	(22,658)	(33,507)
Interest and debt expense	(121,762)	(124,320)	(243,650)	(254,379)
Net gain (loss) on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets	1,005	4,856	(35,719)	4,856
Income (loss) before income taxes	121,208	47,838	204,076	263,556
Income tax expense	(2,877)	(7,479)	(3,950)	(14,304)
Income from continuing operations	118,331	40,359	200,126	249,252
Income from discontinued operations	63,990	17,869	271,122	89,240
Net income (loss)	182,321	58,228	471,248	338,492
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(14,930)	(14,721)	(26,216)	(24,318)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	167,391	43,507	445,032	314,174
Interest and debt expense (2)	179,461	190,942	368,241	384,024
Depreciation and amortization (2)	182,131	184,028	376,316	375,201
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	(22,366)	(5,214)	38,393	46,226
EBITDA	506,617	413,263	1,227,982	1,119,625
Toys R Us [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	1,472	12,563	22,238	32,223
New York Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property rentals	286,844	245,948	561,494	479,884
Straight-line rent adjustments	7,533	17,065	17,859	34,194
Amortization of acquired below-market leases, net	6,944	7,623	19,033	15,318
Total rentals	301,321	270,636	598,386	529,396
Tenant expense reimbursements	38,785	36,985	81,456	73,697
BMS cleaning fees	20,979	23,911	42,001	46,558
Signage Revenue	8,347	4,879	14,828	9,469
Management and leasing fees	2,854	1,113	4,918	2,221
Lease termination fees	5,432	233	5,490	256
Other income	3,254	576	3,969	2,333
Total Revenues	380,972	338,333	751,048	663,930
Operating expenses	157,622	143,190	317,853	288,862
Depreciation and amortization	69,387	56,665	145,621	110,424
General and administrative	8,881	6,654	17,703	15,241
Total expenses	235,890	206,509	481,177	414,527
Operating income (loss)	145,082	131,824	269,871	249,403
Income from partially owned entities	4,226	6,851	9,831	11,036
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net	1,443	1,057	2,608	2,109
Interest and debt expense	(42,835)	(36,407)	(83,453)	(72,548)
Income (loss) before income taxes	107,916	103,325	198,857	190,000
Income tax expense	(961)	(1,064)	(1,233)	(1,665)
Income from continuing operations	106,955	102,261	197,624	188,335
Income from discontinued operations		(32)		(640)
Net income (loss)	106,955	102,229	197,624	187,695
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(1,381)	(2,998)	(2,962)	(5,174)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	105,574	99,231	194,662	182,521
Interest and debt expense (2)	54,546	46,413	104,235	93,471
Depreciation and amortization (2)	74,573	63,664	152,986	125,575
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	1,030	1,113	1,377	1,806
EBITDA	235,723	210,421	453,260	403,373
New York Segment [Member] | All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	4,226	6,851	9,831	11,036
Washington DC Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property rentals	112,733	118,014	225,005	240,818
Straight-line rent adjustments	1,231	1,258	4,008	3,115
Amortization of acquired below-market leases, net	516	508	1,022	1,031
Total rentals	114,480	119,780	230,035	244,964
Tenant expense reimbursements	10,666	10,862	20,802	20,870
Management and leasing fees	3,459	2,384	6,266	5,167
Lease termination fees	182	128	550	128
Other income	5,530	4,968	11,395	10,558
Total Revenues	134,317	138,122	269,048	281,687
Operating expenses	48,290	47,416	95,612	93,618
Depreciation and amortization	30,619	35,017	61,569	77,570
General and administrative	6,873	6,231	13,798	13,181
Total expenses	85,782	88,664	170,979	184,369
Operating income (loss)	48,535	49,458	98,069	97,318
Income from partially owned entities	(2,449)	(519)	(4,542)	(2,389)
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net	6	29	82	73
Interest and debt expense	(27,854)	(27,999)	(56,104)	(57,097)
Income (loss) before income taxes	18,238	20,969	37,505	37,905
Income tax expense	(805)	(852)	(1,183)	(1,302)
Income from continuing operations	17,433	20,117	36,322	36,603
Income from discontinued operations		2,956		4,542
Net income (loss)	17,433	23,073	36,322	41,145
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	17,433	23,073	36,322	41,145
Interest and debt expense (2)	31,245	32,549	62,998	66,206
Depreciation and amortization (2)	35,248	39,656	70,396	87,916
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	852	1,034	1,306	1,557
EBITDA	84,778	96,312	171,022	196,824
Washington DC Segment [Member] | All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	(2,449)	(519)	(4,542)	(2,389)
Retail Properties Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property rentals	64,374	64,554	128,785	129,146
Straight-line rent adjustments	909	2,276	2,367	3,580
Amortization of acquired below-market leases, net	2,885	2,950	5,775	7,107
Total rentals	68,168	69,780	136,927	139,833
Tenant expense reimbursements	22,028	20,986	42,404	41,962
Management and leasing fees	320	1,068	799	1,904
Lease termination fees	198	1	59,797	1
Other income	283	373	859	714
Total Revenues	90,997	92,208	240,786	184,414
Operating expenses	34,091	33,708	68,090	68,189
Depreciation and amortization	15,457	18,495	32,177	36,256
General and administrative	5,169	6,367	10,584	12,700
Total expenses	54,717	58,570	110,851	117,145
Operating income (loss)	36,280	33,638	129,935	67,269
Income from partially owned entities	423	294	1,324	698
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net	(48)	6	4	20
Interest and debt expense	(12,435)	(16,170)	(24,076)	(32,522)
Income (loss) before income taxes	24,220	17,768	107,187	35,465
Income tax expense	(749)		(749)	0
Income from continuing operations	23,471	17,768	106,438	35,465
Income from discontinued operations	64,136	16,254	270,849	26,473
Net income (loss)	87,607	34,022	377,287	61,938
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(13)	97	(109)	211
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	87,594	34,119	377,178	62,149
Interest and debt expense (2)	13,715	20,102	27,938	40,540
Depreciation and amortization (2)	16,348	22,131	34,867	44,406
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	749	0	749	0
EBITDA	118,406	76,352	440,732	147,095
Retail Properties Segment [Member] | All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	423	294	1,324	698
Toys R Us Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Income (loss) before income taxes	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Income from continuing operations	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Net income (loss)	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Interest and debt expense (2)	37,730	37,293	80,912	68,862
Depreciation and amortization (2)	33,882	32,505	71,556	67,211
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	(25,697)	(14,103)	33,649	29,100
EBITDA	9,054	36,505	151,015	262,454
Toys R Us Segment [Member] | Toys R Us [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	(36,861)	(19,190)	(35,102)	97,281
Other Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property rentals	55,782	55,500	102,963	108,599
Straight-line rent adjustments	4,116	48	8,063	1,077
Amortization of acquired below-market leases, net	1,327	1,489	2,676	2,857
Total rentals	61,225	57,037	113,702	112,533
Tenant expense reimbursements	4,180	2,576	7,753	5,377
Cleveland Medical Mart development project	16,990	56,304	29,133	111,363
BMS cleaning fees	(4,470)	(6,929)	(8,828)	(14,066)
Management and leasing fees	(198)	(19)	(290)	8
Lease termination fees	1,317	117	1,318	505
Other income	528	234	2,167	559
Total Revenues	79,572	109,320	144,955	216,279
Operating expenses	21,077	19,171	39,398	38,793
Depreciation and amortization	20,023	18,195	38,203	35,517
General and administrative	33,400	27,580	66,820	61,000
Cleveland Medical Mart development project	15,151	53,935	26,525	106,696
Acquisition related costs	3,350	2,559	3,951	3,244
Total expenses	93,001	121,440	174,897	245,250
Operating income (loss)	(13,429)	(12,120)	(29,942)	(28,971)
Income from partially owned entities	(728)	5,937	15,625	22,878
Income from real estate fund	34,470	20,301	51,034	32,063
Interest and other investment (loss) income, net	25,015	(50,264)	(25,352)	(35,709)
Interest and debt expense	(38,638)	(43,744)	(80,017)	(92,212)
Net gain (loss) on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets	1,005	4,856	(35,719)	4,856
Income (loss) before income taxes	7,695	(75,034)	(104,371)	(97,095)
Income tax expense	(362)	(5,563)	(785)	(11,337)
Income from continuing operations	7,333	(80,597)	(105,156)	(108,432)
Income from discontinued operations	(146)	(1,309)	273	58,865
Net income (loss)	7,187	(81,906)	(104,883)	(49,567)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(13,536)	(11,820)	(23,145)	(19,355)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.	(6,349)	(93,726)	(128,028)	(68,922)
Interest and debt expense (2)	42,225	54,585	92,158	114,945
Depreciation and amortization (2)	22,080	26,072	46,511	50,093
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)	700	6,742	1,312	13,763
EBITDA	58,656	(6,327)	11,953	109,879
Other Segment [Member] | Toys R Us [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities			0
Other Segment [Member] | All Equity Method Investees Excluding Toys [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from partially owned entities	$ (728)	$ 5,937	$ 15,625	$ 22,878