It's that time of year again—the flowers are blooming, the weather is getting warmer, and art students across the city are showing off their best work. Check out this year's batch of up-and-coming artists and designers at this series of shows put on by the San Francisco Art Institute, California College of the Arts, and Academy of Art University. Gallerists and museum curators will no doubt be out scouting this talent, so now's your chance to say you saw them here first.

For the drink recommendations in this week’s Picks & Drinks, I paid a visit to the lovely Harmony Fraga and her ‘Executive Assistant’ slash Party Motivator Michael Lopez at their slick Fillmore lounge The Social Study. Situated as it is, the Social Study was in a prime position for many early morning coffee runs during the two weeks of the SF International Film Fest, and I was excited to hear how their nighttime menu of unique beer- and wine-based cocktails would stack up to this week’s best indie offerings.

  I pay my rent on time every month. I pay my bills. I have a steady job. I have no kids, no pets, no strings attached, and no nicotine addiction. I’m old enough to throw a civilized adult gathering (read: party) and wise enough not to destroy my apartment in the process (most of the time). As my colleague put it, I’m a landlord’s wet dream.

But, in San Francisco at the moment, none of that matters.