New Yorkers loathe Trump Muslim ban but don't mind his buildings

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers who live in luxury towers emblazoned with Donald Trump's name said on Wednesday they separate what they called his political blunders from his real estate genius and feel the property's cache is as valuable as ever.

“As far as the name goes, it’s a good brand. I’m not going to take that away from him because of that crazy talk,” said Amjad Pervez, 45, referring to the Republican presidential front-runner's proposed ban on Muslims from entering the country.

Pervez, a real estate agent and married father of two who owns and lives in a two-bedroom apartment at Trump Place overlooking the Hudson River, said the billionaire developer's comments were repulsive, echoing the most common sentiment shared by more than a dozen New Yorkers interviewed outside their homes in Manhattan properties with the Trump moniker.

Still, most were happy to own or rent apartments in buildings bearing the Trump name, all high-end buildings with doormen and other amenities.

None said they felt an increased security risk in living under the Trump name in the wake of his call on Monday for blocking all Muslims from entering the United States following last week's deadly shootings in California by two Muslims who authorities said were radicalized.

Trump’s real estate portfolio has grown to include at least 10 luxury residential buildings in Manhattan, in addition to commercial skyscrapers, hotels and golf courses elsewhere in the United States and around the globe.

Steven Resnick, a married grandfather who works in financial services and rents an apartment at Trump Place, also called Trump's comments "crazy" but added, “He did a fine job in real estate. I really don’t connect the two.”

Bonnie Chajet, a real estate agent who was showing an apartment to a prospective buyer at Trump International Hotel & Tower, which overlooks the west side of Central Park, said, "I think people are probably able to separate who he is from where they're living."

Outside the United States, the real estate mogul's plan to bar Muslims has hurt his brand in the Middle East. A major chain of department stores in the region halted sales of his glitzy "Trump Home" line of home furnishings and business executives in Dubai made it clear they were uneasy using his brand name there.

In Canada, former Vancouver city planner Brent Toderian has called on developers of the nearly completed Trump International Hotel & Tower in Vancouver – set to be one of the city’s tallest and most expensive – to immediately remove Trump’s name from the building and things associated with it.

    But New Yorkers seem to be more nonchalant. New York property owners said regardless of how offensive they found Trump's political views, they had no plans to switch addresses to disassociate themselves from the Trump name.

A white-haired, bespectacled man who declined to give his name or age and is a potential buyer at Trump Place said he would gladly complete the purchase if he gets a good deal. "I don't care if he says, 'Howdy Doody,' as long as I get a good price," the main said.

Still, there were some residents who were mortified to live under the Trump banner, particularly since his remarks about Muslims.

"I find him morally repugnant," said Georgia Curatola, a married woman who has rented an apartment for five years at Trump Parc along the southern border of Central Park. "The services are wonderful, but I wish they would take the name down."

(Additional reporting by Angela Moon in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)