Wanna get away from the Starbucks blah, then try this place. It's located on E. Fremont which is trumped up to be the new hip area, but I still have my doubts. I feel safe venturing here on a Sunday morning, but would avoid it at night.
But The Beat is great. It reminds me of the old student hangout cafes in Belgium or Holland. They serve coffee in a nice cup, not styro and the baked goods are really tasty. They allow dogs too which adds a nice laissez-faire atmosphere, but what I truly enjoyed was the vinyl album music in the background. Let's hope this place generates enough busy to stay open.