It's pretty easy: ask your subject where they would like to meet. You're trying to make them feel comfortable, so let them choose their own turf. If they leave it up to you, pick a place that's neutral and comfortable, like a coffee shop. Just make sure there are places to sit, though, and that it's not too loud (you don't want to have to ask the person to repeat themselves or to have a miserable time deciphering your tape). Oh, and while cafes that have smoking sections are now as hard to find as a midget unicorn, you still want to double check: you don't want a nonsmoker to be in a bad mood off the bat because you picked a smokey joint.

If it's a profile, try to get the subject to pick the location, ideally a place where they spend a lot of time (such as their home or a favorite park or restaurant.) That way, as you conduct the interview, you can incorporate the sights, smells and scents of the surroundings. Even better, if it's at someone's home, you might find inspiration for questions you hadn't thought of ("Oh, what lovely children..." "Is cooking a big part of your life?" "Is this the knife you used to kill your neighbor?")

I asked other freelancers if there are any places that are just awful for conducting interviews and I only received one definitive answer: "Backstage." So if you can avoid it, don't do it.