Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company Building

Recently renovated and gilt to the hilt indoors, this 1925 building made architect Timothy Pflueger’s reputation with its black-marble deco lobby and soaring, streamlined shape. Winston Churchill made his first transatlantic telephone call here in 1929, but ironically the tower now seems to interfere with cell-phone coverage. Notice the cable-like lines running right up the building, past stylized telegraph insulators to fierce stone eagles. Today it’s the headquarters of review site Yelp, and home to Morocco-moderne restaurant Mourad.