The first AA meeting I ever attended was in the basement of a popular night club (it was a 5PM meeting called the "happy hour"). Part of the reason I picked that meeting to go to was because I knew how to get there.
From what I heard the owner of the club was in the program and let AA groups use the space rent free. It was actually a great place for meetings...lots of parking, separate entrance, full amenities (kitchen/bathrooms), and had a large seating capacity.
Edit to add: Out of curiosity I just did a google search and that meeting still exists (different location now). It was April of 1990 when I went to my first AA meeting.