If the mayor has his way, the taps will be open almost until sunrise in Beantown.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced last Thursday that he wants to allow downtown hotel bars to remain open until 4 a.m.--two hours later than the current closing time.

If implemented, the mayor said, this plan would help Boston become a "world-class city."

The mayor's announcement has caused a stir among downtown residents.

Residents fear that keeping bars open later will increase crime in their neighborhoods.

In response to these concerns, however, the mayor's office insisted that he is "adamant" about extending hours only for hotel bars and will not allow residential areas to be affected.

This declaration in turn caused consternation among the owners of neighborhood bars, who worry that hotel bars could then take away their business.

However, bartender Paul Barry of the Grafton Street pub in Harvard Square said he doesn't believe any new legislation will affect his bar.

"From what I understand, the plan is geared to tourists, and only guests of the hotel will be able to use the bar until 4 a.m.," Barry said. "I don't think it will hurt business around here."

Some lawmakers, though, said the later closing time could negatively affect the atmosphere in the city by drawing in heavy drinkers from neighboring communities.

City Councillor at Large Stephen J. Murphy told the Boston Globe that allowing bars to remain open an extra two hours would be imploring Boston suburbs to "give [the city] your drunks."

According to a spokesperson in the mayor's office, there are many steps before the new closing time can become law. First the mayor must apply for home rule from the state, which mandates a 2 a.m. closing time. Then, the law will have to pass through a series of committees for approval. The mayor plans to kick off the policy change by filing the home rule petition by Jan. 1.

One patron of a local bar last Saturday night, Tom Lancaster, a first year graduate student at MIT, said new liquor laws might draw him into the city.

"I would probably go downtown once in a while if bars stayed open later," Lancaster said. "But only if the T ran later."