The poem’s setting is cued right up front in the title, as well as in the poet’s introduction in its original publication. Brooklyn is known for its arts scene and for the famous, picturesque bridge that stretches across it. “Old Brooklyn Magic” presents the borough as a place that exists in contrasts: charming and unsettling, family-friendly and dangerous to the unknowing. It is given a malevolent personality and a desire to ensnare those who enter its domain.