Whether you are interested in startups or want to make sure you get the most out of your career, be it semiconductors or another field, it is better for you to live in a city that is teaming with energy rather than a sleepy small-town, at least according to FastCompany.  There is little doubt that living in a city that is a hub for what you might be interested in can be an advantage. Taking it a step farther, if you are deciding on a college it might be a good idea to apply the same principle, since local candidates usually have an advantage in at least landing an interview and your professors are likely to have better industry connections as well. But with millions of cities to choose from, picking one can quickly become a daunting task, especially if you are not interested in one of the regular destinations like San Francisco and the nearby Silicon Valley. Lucky for you, FastCompany just published their list of Fast Cities 2007. The criteria for the list included the creativity, innovation, and energy of a city. For a short discussion of the criteria, take a look at their article here. The actual list is broken down into many categories including some rather unusual ones such as unexpected oases and creative-class meccas. They’ve also provided a nice little map that locates the cities visually on a map. Additionally, cities that are simply slow or too-fast for their own good are also briefly mentioned. The nice thing about the list is that it is global and thus there should be something for everyone on it.