Fresh on newstands today is Children’s Health magazine’s ranking of “The 100 Best (and Worst) Places to Raise a Family.” Just skip right to the bottom of the list and there we are. Representing Florida, in all its glory: Miami, #99 (just ahead of dead-last Detroit, Michigan); Orlando, #98; and Tampa, #94.

As a native Miamian who moved from San Jose, Calif. (#39) back to South Florida after starting my family a few years ago, I’m upset. Yes, I know the analysis of FBI, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other expert sources researched more than 30 factors parents consider important, such as crime and safety, education and health. But stats alone don’t tell the story of a place as vibrant, unique and culturally rich as Miami.

I was born and raised in the greater-Miami area, the daughter of Cuban immigrants, a product of the public school system, a graduate of its public university. While I now live 40 minutes north in Broward County, my parents, siblings (and their kids) and extended family still live in Miami. My son knows the city well, since we make the drive down the Turnpike almost every weekend.

"We know not every city is bad from A to Z," said Joel Weber, one of the authors of the study, who explained that Miami's high violent crime rate, high number of sex offenders and high number of missing children per capita contributed to the city's poor ranking. "Every city has its charm."

In that spirit, here is my list in favor of raising your family in Miami:

Diversity: It’s not until I moved across the country that I came to appreciate Miami’s cultural diversity. (At least during my time in the Golden State, Californians had a very skewed sense of race and demographics.) In Miami and South Florida, in general, you can come into contact with different parts of the world just by the people you meet, the places where you worship, the places where you eat. The schools, while far from perfect on a number of levels, force you to mingle with others not like you. I want my son to appreciate that as much as I have.

Big lights, big city: If New York is the city that doesn’t sleep, Miami is its sexy cousin. And while nightlife is certainly not on the top of the priority list for many parents when it comes to raising kids, having easy access to a variety of cultural activities to broaden the minds of young ones is a must. In Miami and South Florida, you’ve got plenty of museums, concert venues, arts festivals – and they’re bigger and better than in many cities across the country.

The beaches: I will never forget my summer internship in Boston when I met a fellow intern from Denver who, at 20 years old, had never seen the ocean. (In all fairness, I had never seen snow at that point.) The ocean breeze, the sand in between your toes, the seashells. Like so many who grow up in South Florida, I took it all for granted. No more. Once I had my son, I promised myself I would give him the same wonderful childhood memories I had at the beach. He loves it, and I love watching him play in the crashing waves.

So speak up: What are your reasons for raising your family in South Florida?