Wretched

"What brings you to wretched New York?"
"Why is it wretched?"
"Oh, you know--it's wretched, it's wonderful, it's disgusting, it's divine. All at the same time, usually, which is why I love it so." He gave me an ironic look, as if to suggest that in fact he didn't love it so--or that if he did it was for nothing so simple, nothing he'd be so glib about.

~From The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer, page 154