This news magazine just called Miami one of the greatest places in the world. Is it?

If you believe Time, which has never tried to exit I-95 heading east onto Biscayne Boulevard, find parking downtown or pay rent in Brickell, Miami is one of the greatest places in the world.

In its July 15 edition, the news magazine released its fourth annual World’s Greatest Places list of 50 “extraordinary travel destinations,” and the splendor that is Miami is one of the 50 places mentioned, right up there with the Great Barrier Reef, Bali and Rapi Nui (Easter Island) in Chile.

Miami was one of five U.S. cities to make the Time list, which also included Detroit, San Francisco, Park City and Portland, Oregon. Time reports that it chose the 50 highlighted cities after seeking recommendations from its correspondents and contributors on places that offered new and exciting experiences.

This all makes sense, because of course Miami is a great travel destination, and trying to drive downtown after a storm as filthy sewer water pours into your car is indeed exciting. But we are not entirely sure the person who suggested Miami has spent much time here.

Under the heading “So hot right now“ — we can all agree that truer words have never been spoken — Time praises Miami as the emerging “capital of cool.” So far so good. As long as you’re not talking about temperature or the value of MiamiCoin, Miami can definitely be classified as cool.

But Time seems uninterested in our culturally diverse food scene, even though our restaurants have finally received Michelin Guide attention. It ignores swanky rooftop bars like Sugar at East Miami or Rosa Sky. It’s not interested in sailing or paddleboarding or watersports of any sort on the wide expanse of Biscayne Bay or the vibrant arts scene, which includes the yearly madness of Art Basel. It doesn’t even seem to care about our three-time champion Miami Heat, who were one three-point shot away from a trip to the NBA Finals earlier this year.

Instead, Time praises Miami for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, which “drew a spectacular cross section of VIPs and celebrities to witness Formula One stateside, making the city feel, according to ESPN, like ‘the center of the sporting universe.’ ” This is harder than it looks, as the Grand Prix was held in an entirely different city, Miami Gardens, and the only thing locals talked about was how noisy it was. Even the tourists were salty about the lack of luxury in the luxury viewing areas.

Time is also excited about the Underline, the linear outdoor park under the Metrorail. We like the Underline, too. But encouraging people to come to Miami to see the half-mile stretch now open may be a bit premature, since the full 10 miles won’t be open until 2025.

Time goes on to praise a few area hotels, including the Moxy South Beach (not in Miami), the Gabriel South Beach (not in Miami) and the Esmé Miami Beach (also not in Miami). It mentions Española Way (also not in Miami), but there’s no mention of Wynwood (in Miami), one of the city’s big tourist draws.

We appreciate the love, Time. But ask us next time, and we’ll happily give you a tour.

This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 6:00 AM.