Here are 5 Hamilton spots you can't help but notice in The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy, a Netflix series that premiered Feb. 15, was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton. And boy, is there a lot of Hamilton.

There's an opening shot of women pushing seven baby buggies past the John Sopinka Courthouse. The main characters live in a former Gore Park gay club. If you're a Hamiltonian and you're watching the show, you can't stop noticing the Hamilton spots.

The production was in Hamilton for 28 days from January to July, and hired local crew, says Debbie Spence, the city's business development consultant for creative industries.

The city issued 19 location permits, with some spots visited multiple times. Here's a list:

• The former Target in Waterdown.
• Liuna Station.
• Gage Park.
• Gore Park area (Embassy Club).
• Downtown (John Street, King Street East, King William Street, James Street North).
• Corktown Pub.
• Cotton Factory.
• St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Polish Church.
• Dyment's Market and Bakery.

Some of them pop right off the screen.

1. Gore Park. Again and again and again

The family lives in Gore Park. The Stelco tower looms in the background. Sometimes it looks like a lovely summer day. Sometimes it looks like a meteor hit it. 

2. The former Embassy nightclub

It's in Gore Park too, but 64 King St. E. is so prevalent that it's worth its own spot on the list. This is where eccentric billionaire Reginald Hargreeves trains seven magical babies he adopted from around the world. 

3. The International Village

The Sparkle Chinese restaurant sign makes it obvious. Klaus (Robert Sheehan) pawns his family's belongings for drug money at a pawn shop that's usually Starspark Computers.

4. Liuna Station (of course)

Filmmakers love Liuna Station. Here, it doubled as a bank under siege. It's also where Hargreeves unveils his brood to the world via a throng of waiting media.

5. Dyment's in rural Dundas

On this rural crossroads, there are bad guys and a redirected bullet and … you kind of have to see it to understand. 

Other Hamilton content

Hamilton actor T.J. McGibbon, 13, plays young Vanya in the series. Ellen Page plays an older version of the character. 

VintageSoulGeek is a go-to vintage clothing store for filmmakers doing period pieces in Hamilton. Guillermo Del Toro's crew, for example, tapped the International Village store for clothes for The Shape of Water. The Umbrella Academy crew did the same.

What's next

Hamilton issued 811 film permits last year, up from 539 the year before, Spence said. Each production brings local jobs, and hotel room bookings, and meals eaten at local restaurants.

Upcoming productions that were shot in Hamilton last year include The Handmaid's Tale, Del Toro's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (which means he came back after The Shape of Water), and Atom Egoyan's Guest of Honour. The thriller The Hot Zone was also filmed almost entirely in Hamilton.

Here's a video the city uses to lure film productions.