Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	JBGS	Real estate fund investments	Other	Preferred Shares	Common Shares	Common Shares JBGS	Additional Capital	Earnings Less Than Distributions	Earnings Less Than Distributions JBGS	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. JBGS	Vornado Realty L.P. Real estate fund investments	Vornado Realty L.P. Other	Vornado Realty L.P. Preferred Shares	Vornado Realty L.P. Earnings Less Than Distributions	Vornado Realty L.P. Earnings Less Than Distributions JBGS	Vornado Realty L.P. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Vornado Realty L.P. Class A Units Owned by Vornado	Vornado Realty L.P. Class A Units Owned by Vornado JBGS	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 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	$ (1,766,780)		$ 46,921	$ 7,140,500		$ 778,483
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	239,607								239,607						251,017					251,017
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	(11,410)														(11,410)					(11,410)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	26,361		$ 15,088									26,361			26,361										26,361
Dividends on common shares	(356,863)								(356,863)
Distributions to Vornado															(356,863)					(356,863)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(59,774)								(59,774)						(59,774)					(59,774)
Redemption of Series J preferred shares, shares					(9,850)														(9,850)
Redemption of Series J preferred shares, value	(246,250)				$ (238,842)				(7,408)						(246,250)				$ (238,842)	(7,408)
Common shares issued: / Class A Units issued to Vornado
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, shares						293																	293
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, value	28,126					$ 12		28,114							28,126								$ 28,126
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, shares						106																	106
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, value	5,940					$ 4		5,936	0						5,940								$ 5,940
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, shares						12																	12
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, value	1,080					$ 0		1,080							1,080								$ 1,080
Contributions:
Contributions	19,699											19,699			19,699										19,699
Distributions:
Distributions	(23,582)		(59,843)	$ (11,631)									$ (59,843)	$ (11,631)			$ (59,843)	$ (11,631)								$ (59,843)	$ (11,631)
Deferred compensation shares and options, shares						7																	7
Deferred compensation shares and options, value	1,185					$ 1		1,370	(186)						1,185					(186)			$ 1,371
Increase (reduction) in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	42,798										42,798				42,798							42,798
Pro rata share of amounts reclassified related to a nonconsolidated subsidiary	0														0
Pro rata share of other comprehensive loss of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,537)										(1,537)				(1,537)							(1,537)
Increase (reduction) in value of interest rate swaps	(3,482)										(3,482)				(3,482)							(3,482)
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	(30,260)							(30,260)							(30,260)								(30,260)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' share of above adjustments	(2,326)										(2,326)				(2,326)							(2,326)	$ 0
Other, shares						(1)																	(1)
Other, value	78				$ (1)	$ (1)		1	(7)		0	86			78				$ (1)	(7)		0	$ 0		86
Ending balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2016					42,827	188,994													42,827				188,994
Ending balance, value at Sep. 30, 2016	7,068,986				$ 1,038,111	$ 7,537		7,139,220	(1,951,411)		82,374	753,155			7,068,986				$ 1,038,111	(1,951,411)		82,374	$ 7,146,757		753,155
Beginning balance, shares 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	(1,419,382)		118,972	$ 7,160,874		719,977
Net income attributable to Vornado / Vornado Realty L.P.	183,084								183,084						192,141					192,141
Net income attributable to redeemable partnership units	(9,057)														(9,057)					(9,057)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	18,436		9,684									18,436			18,436										18,436
Dividends on common shares	(382,552)								(382,552)
Distributions to Vornado															(382,552)					(382,552)
Dividends on preferred shares / Distributions to preferred unitholders	(48,386)								(48,386)						(48,386)					(48,386)
Common shares issued: / Class A Units issued to Vornado
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, shares						349																	349
Upon redemption of Class A units, at redemption value, value	34,564					$ 14		34,550							34,564								$ 34,564
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, shares						409																	409
Under Vornado's employees' share option plan, value	23,892					$ 15		23,877							23,892								$ 23,892
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, shares						12																	12
Under Vornado's dividend reinvestment plan, value	1,119					$ 0		1,119							1,119								$ 1,119
Contributions:
Contributions	1,044											1,044			1,044										1,044
Distributions:
Distributions	(25,663)	$ (2,430,427)	$ (20,851)	$ (1,815)			$ 0			$ (2,430,427)			$ (20,851)	$ (1,815)		$ (2,430,427)	$ (20,851)	$ (1,815)			$ (2,430,427)			$ 0		$ (20,851)	$ (1,815)
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 and options, shares						1																	1
Deferred compensation shares and options, value	1,557					$ 0		1,975	(418)						1,557					(418)			$ 1,975
Increase (reduction) in unrealized net gain on available-for-sale securities	(10,559)										(10,559)				(10,559)							(10,559)
Pro rata share of amounts reclassified related to a nonconsolidated subsidiary	8,622										8,622				8,622							8,622
Pro rata share of other comprehensive loss of nonconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,657)										(1,657)				(1,657)							(1,657)
Increase (reduction) in value of interest rate swaps	6,611										6,611				6,611							6,611
Adjustments to carry redeemable Class A units at redemption value	286,928							286,928							286,928								286,928
Redeemable noncontrolling interests' share of above adjustments	(188)							0			(188)				(188)							(188)	$ 0
Other, shares						4																	4
Other, value	(345)							(2)	(46)		0	(297)			(345)					(46)		0	$ (2)		(297)
Ending balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2017					42,823	189,878													42,823				189,878
Ending balance, value at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 5,287,573				$ 1,038,011	$ 7,571		$ 7,501,823	$ (4,098,127)		$ 121,801	$ 716,494			$ 5,287,573				$ 1,038,011	$ (4,098,127)		$ 121,801	$ 7,509,394		$ 716,494