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 (loss) attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	(93,799)						(93,799)					(101,286)					(101,286)
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable partnership units	(7,487)											7,487					7,487
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	9,678								9,678			9,678							9,678
Dividends on common shares	(118,867)						(118,867)
Distributions to Vornado												(118,867)					(118,867)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(20,364)						(20,364)					(20,364)					(20,364)
Class A Units issued to Vornado / Common shares issued:
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Shares					157											157
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Value	14,482				$ 6	14,476						14,482				$ 14,482
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Shares					26											26
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Value	2,166				$ 1	2,165	0					2,166				$ 2,166
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Shares					4											4
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	357				$ 0	357						357				$ 357
Distributions:
Distributions	(7,835)	$ (13,487)	$ (152)							$ (13,487)	$ (152)		$ (13,487)	$ (152)						$ (13,487)	$ (152)
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Shares					7											7
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Value	350				$ 1	535	(186)					350				$ 536	(186)
(Reduction) increase in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	11,094							11,094				11,094						11,094
Pro rata share of amounts reclassified related to a nonconsolidated subsidiary	0											0
Pro rata share of other comprehensive (loss) income of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	6							6				6						6
Reduction in value of interest rate swap	(4,195)							(4,195)				(4,195)						(4,195)
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	36,524					36,524						36,524				$ 36,524
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' / parnership units' share of above adjustments	(427)							(427)				(427)						(427)
Other	112						2	0	110			112					2		110
Ending balance, Shares / Units at Mar. 31, 2016				52,677	188,771										52,677	188,771
Ending balance, Value at Mar. 31, 2016	7,299,556			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,529	7,187,036	(1,999,994)	53,399	774,632			7,299,556			$ 1,276,954	$ 7,194,565	(1,999,994)	53,399	774,632
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 (loss) attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	63,881						63,881					67,110					67,110
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable partnership units	3,229											(3,229)					(3,229)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	6,737								6,737			6,737							6,737
Dividends on common shares	(134,332)						(134,332)
Distributions to Vornado												(134,332)					(134,332)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(16,129)						(16,129)					(16,129)					(16,129)
Class A Units issued to Vornado / Common shares issued:
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Shares					140											140
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, Value	14,739				$ 6	14,733						14,739				$ 14,739
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Shares					96											96
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, Value	8,097				$ 3	8,094						8,097				$ 8,097
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Shares					3											3
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, Value	387				$ 0	387						387				$ 387
Contributions:
Contributions	75								75			75							75
Distributions:
Distributions	(9,163)	$ (4,528)	$ (590)							$ (4,528)	$ (590)		$ (4,528)	$ (590)						$ (4,528)	$ (590)
Conversion of Series A preferred shares to common shares / Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units				0											0	0
Conversion of Series A preferred shares to common shares / Conversion of Series A preferred units to Class A units, Value	0			$ (6)		6						0			$ (6)	$ 6
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Shares					3											3
Deferred compensation shares / units and options, Value	311				$ 0	575	(264)					311				$ 575	(264)
(Reduction) increase in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	(15,009)							(15,009)				(15,009)						(15,009)
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) income of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(51)							(51)				(51)						(51)
Reduction in value of interest rate swap	5,842							5,842				5,842						5,842
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	6,197					6,197						6,197				$ 6,197
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' / parnership units' share of above adjustments	(3)							(3)				(3)						(3)
Other, Shares					0
Other	(61)			$ 0	$ 0	0	(10)		(51)			(61)					(10)		(51)
Ending balance, Shares / Units at Mar. 31, 2017				42,825	189,343										42,825	189,343
Ending balance, Value at Mar. 31, 2017	$ 7,563,327			$ 1,038,049	$ 7,551	$ 7,183,324	$ (1,506,236)	$ 119,019	$ 721,620			$ 7,563,327			$ 1,038,049	$ 7,190,875	$ (1,506,236)	$ 119,019	$ 721,620