It's "Madison Week" at OnMilwaukee.com. We sent our editorial staff to check out bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural venues in order to uncover some of the best of Wisconsin's second-largest city.

Where it is: Just west of the isthmus, located along Lake Wingra.

Reasons to go: Monroe Street is the main retail thoroughfare running through Vilas Park. Filled with independent restaurants and shops, Monroe Street is a great part of town to have a cup of coffee, lunch or shop around.

The Vilas County Zoo is free to the public and sits on the edge of Vilas Park. Plenty of spots for picnics, fields for soccer and beach front sand make this the ideal place for a family get together during the summer.

Reasons to eat there: Pasqual's (Mexican), 2534 Monroe St.; Greenbush Bar (Italian), 914 Regent St.; Blue Moon (bar food), 2535 University Ave.; Lombardino's Restaurant (Italian), 2500 University Ave.

Best coffee shop/café: Ancora Coffee Roasters, 1859 Monroe St.

Reasons to shop there: Strictly Discs, 1900 Monroe St.; Art Gecko, 1725 Monroe St.

Reasons to stop for drinks: For bar life, the best time to hit this neighborhood is during any UW sporting event. The Vilas Park Neighborhood borders Camp Randall and on game day you can find dozens of sports bars packed with fans.

Hidden gem: This one isn't quite so hidden considering it's over 1,200 acres. The University of Wisconsin Arboretum sits just west of Vilas Park. Open to the public, you can hike, jog or bike through over 1,200 acres of ecologically complex forest and field.