Best way to skip the line
Brookline Avenue has its perks (it's home to the Phoenix offices, after all), but waiting in long lines only to find out a Red Sox game is sold out isn't one of them. That's where Ace Ticket Agency comes in. "The harder it seems to get a seat to a particular event," says owner Jim Holzman, "the better the chance you can get it from Ace." The agency buys and sells top-dollar (and bleacher) seats to premium and sold-out events such as Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins games, The Lion King, The Nutcracker, and every concert you could ever want to attend. Holzman sent "tons of customers" to the Red Sox playoff and World Series games. How does it get all those hard-to-find tickets? Connections, connections, connections. Holzman promises: "As long as you know Ace, you have those contacts and connections, too."

Ace Ticket Agency, (800) MY-SEATS, www.aceticket.com.