Late Day Morsel Number One: Dominique Strauss-Kahn

There has been much chatter this week among the various New York City-based real estate gossips about the very contemporary downtown Manhattan townhouse where until recently Dominique Strauss-Kahn was holed up for several months in the lap of luxury on house arrest.

The former managing director of the International Monetary Fund catapulted to tabloid fodder in May 2011 when he was ripped off a Paris-bound plane and charged with the sexual assault of a hotel housekeeper. He denied any and all allegations of misconduct and the prosecution eventually requested the case be withdrawn due to lack of evidence.

Early reports suggested Mister Strauss coughed up fifty grand a month for the 6,804 square foot townhouse rental but reporter Matt Chabon at the New York Observer spoke with the listing agent who–somewhat surprisingly–revealed that Mister Strauss actually paid $60,000 per month for the furnished rental that was arranged for in an overnight deal.

The five floor Franklin Street townhouse–which has an elegant and well-resolved floor plan despite the windowless but sky lit main living space–is back on the market for lease at $50,000 per month and for sale with an asking price of $13,995,000. Chatty listing agent Robert Dvorin at Town Real Estate told the Observer that interest in the townhouse has been "exponential" since Mister Strauss-Kahn vacated the premises.

The French economist has, as far as we know, vamoosed permanently back to Paris where he and his Missus were welcomed with flowers by none other than magnificently kooky German-born French couturier Karl Lagerfeld.

listing photos and floor plan: Town Real Estate