North or South Pole?

 Although researchers have found there is significant water even in sunlit regolith, the mass quantities of water ice are at the poles of the Moon. It looks like the most water ice is at the South Pole but the North Pole has some large deposits, as well. It certainly seems more efficient to go after the large deposits of water ice - there is no telling whether processing one cubic meter of regolith to get only 12 ounces of water will be economical.  So it makes sense to explore the big deposits at the South Pole - but is that where we want to put a large base?

Launching habitats or even building large spaces by 3D printing habitats from in situ resources takes time and money, and then you have to cover them with several meters of regolith to get the necessary radiation protection. Such habitats will likely not be very spacious. 

Why not locate a pre-built habitat that is large enough to both live and work in, has a stable temperature, is possibly pressurizable and definitely radiation and micrometeorite safe? We're talking intact lava tubes! 

Where do we find an intact lava tube? Satellite observations show lots of collapsed lava tubes and also lava channels and even large empty rivers where lava once flowed. A recent study concludes, "Therefore, among the three planetary bodies, the Moon presents the highest potential for lava tube development and conservation. Most of its tubes are probably intact and stable along their full length exceeding a total volume of some billions of cubic meters each, but with few accessible entrances from the surface. These impressive volumetric values clearly show how future space missions devoted to the investigation of these voids could open a promising era of subsurface lunar and Martian exploration and a completely new perspective in planetary exploration." Lava tubes on Earth, Moon and Mars: A review on their size and morphology revealed by comparative planetology. Sauro, Pozzobon, et al.

 Unfortunately, it's not easy to see an intact sub-surface lava tube from orbit. You really need to be there- with some ground-penetrating radar. 

My guess is that the intact lava tubes are hiding somewhere in the same volcanic regions where we can see collapsed lava tubes and lava channels (aka sinuous rilles). Where is that? Most sinuous rilles are found in the northern latitudes of the Near Side, in and around Oceanus Procellarum, Mare Serenitatis, and Mare Imbriuim. Since the South-Aitken Basin (which includes the South Pole) is a huge impact crater, we're not as likely to find an intact lava tube in that region. (Not impossible though, as recent research shows some volcanic activity in that region after the impact.) However, an intact sub-surface lava tube on the northern edges of Oceanus Procellarum, Serenitatis, or Imbrium would be ideal. You'd have near-side near real -time comms, and proximity to mineralogical resources in addition to the solar power advantages of either pole. A cheap, safe, spacious habitat close to significant sources of water, power and mineral resources would be key to lunar industrialization and settlement. Location, location, location.