Toronto rarely plays itself on-screen, the recent Pixar movie Turning Red being a recent exception from the filmmaking trend that has the 416 standing in as a cheaper double of U.S. cities like New York or Chicago thanks to generous tax credits.

And anyone passing through the Berkeley and The Esplanade area this week got a small taste of the Big Apple as scenes of a faux NYC were spotted in the neighbourhood as part of a Netflix production.

The show in question is Sex/Life, an American drama now filming its second season here in Toronto, following its first season produced in nearby Mississauga.

For the most recent shoot, film crews took over the children's playground area at David Crombie Park and the nearby Canadian Stage Company building at 26 Berkeley Street.

Filming Update!
It was #SexLife that’s filming in the Berkeley and Esplanade area. 💄🎥🎬 pic.twitter.com/5pU2GFpWIC

— Toronto Filming (@TOFilming_EM) April 8, 2022

The scenes were assembled with prep work commencing on Wednesday morning, with shooting following on Thursday afternoon and wrapping Friday evening. Berkeley Street has been closed from The Esplanade and Front throughout to allow the shoot to proceed undisturbed.

1/2 Film shoot 🎬 in downtown Toronto at the Esplanade & Berkeley. It's Season 2 of Sex/Life, set in New York City. 🇺🇲 I love the attention to detail: NYC taxis and subway, US newspaper boxes, fake street lights, and even a New York bus stop. #sexlife @TOFilming_EM pic.twitter.com/pbjMA6oZSG

— Anita Windisman (@AnitaWindisman) April 7, 2022

Props were brought in for the shoot to transform the scenes into a convincing New York City stand-in, including a subway station entrance mock-up, NYPD cars, NYC taxis, an FDNY ambulance, and even smaller details like weathered newspaper boxes featuring U.S. and New York publications.

2/2 More pics from the set of Sex/Life filming in downtown Toronto.🎬 #sexlife @TOFilming_EM pic.twitter.com/PIlNlen0VK

— Anita Windisman (@AnitaWindisman) April 7, 2022

It's a bit of a trip to see these mock subway entrances — complete with convincing rust and graffiti — far from any underground transit in areas of the city that would dream of having subway access. This is just another reminder of how vast NYC's rapid transit system is.

Filming for the second season of Sex/Life has been underway for two months now, beginning in early February and set to wrap on May 6.