Root where to get Inspire rooted in NYC

[AT1988]

I'm scared to root it myself, so I'm wondering if anyone knows any good and reputable places in NYC to root my Inspire 4G, and maybe to put Gingerbread on it, without deleting all my apps, or at least backing them to the SD card. If I try it myself and brick the thing, how can one unbrick it? What are the benefits of rooting, like what apps could I use only when the phone is rooted and/or on Gingerbread?