POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
Richard G. Pyle, Robert S. Herbst, James P. Gerkis, Robert K. Kane, Julie M.
Allen, Jeremy Lechtzin and Jason Crelinsten, and each of them acting or signing
alone, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

       (1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
capacity as an officer and/or director of Town Sports International Holdings,
Inc. (the "Company"), any and all reports required to be filed by the
undersigned in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the rules thereunder;

       (2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4
or 5 or other required report and timely file such report with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority;
and

       (3)  take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned, pursuant to this Power of Attorney, shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in his
discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, and proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or his or her
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of
this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned
acknowledges that no such attorney-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the
request of the undersigned, is hereby assuming, nor is the Company hereby
assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file reports under Section 16 with respect
to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 24th day of May, 2006.


                        Signature:     /s/ Bruce Bruckmann
                                       -------------------

                       Printed Name:  Bruce Bruckmann for Bruckmann, Rosser,
                                      Sherrill & Co., LP
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