Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners, Minimum Interest Required

No definition available.

Name:	esrt_NoncontrollingInterestOwnershipPercentagebyNoncontrollingOwnersMinimumInterestRequired
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners, Threshold to be Indemnified

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esrt_NoncontrollingInterestOwnershipPercentagebyNoncontrollingOwnersThresholdtobeIndemnified
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues, Threshold for Top Up Rights

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esrt_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueNewIssuesThresholdforTopUpRights
Namespace Prefix:	esrt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of common stock.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash inflow from the additional capital contribution to the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3255-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Per share or per unit amount of equity securities issued.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharesIssuedPricePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of new stock issued during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=esrt_QatarInvestmentAuthorityAffiliateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PartnerTypeOfPartnersCapitalAccountAxis=us-gaap_GeneralPartnerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=esrt_SeriesPRCommonUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Related Party Transactions - QIA (Details) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions - QIA (Details) - USD ($)	Aug. 23, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Gross proceeds from sale of shares	$ 621,800,000	$ 0	$ 611,206,000	$ 0
Q REIT Holding LLC [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Interest held by subsidiary of QIA	9.90%
Minimum interest required to be held by affiliate of QIA in order to purchase new equity securities	5.00%
Threshold of equity securities issuance where top up rights are exercisable	$ 1,000,000.0
Threshold to indemnify	10.00%
Common Class A [Member] \| ESRT [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01
Common shares [Member] \| Common Class A [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Issuance of common shares (in shares)	29,610,854		29,610,854
Common shares issued (USD per share)	$ 21.00
General Partner [Member] \| Series PR Common Units [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Issuance of common shares (in shares)	29,610,854		29,611,000