Minneapolis Neighborhood
Regina
Small, quiet, and easy to miss — where a handful of residential blocks between I-35W and Chicago Avenue offer one of the most peaceful places to live within Minneapolis city limits.
№ 66 of 87 · Nokomis community · Last updated: October 2026 · A complete neighborhood guide
Regina is the kind of neighborhood where, if you asked ten Minneapolis residents to point to it on a map, nine of them would miss. It occupies a small patch of south Minneapolis between I-35W and Chicago Avenue, bordered by East 46th Street to the south and East 42nd Street to the north. It has no signature restaurant, no viral social media presence, no public controversy generating headlines. It has well-maintained homes, old trees, parks at its edges, and neighbors who wave. For the roughly 2,300 people who live here, that is not a limitation. That is the entire value proposition.
What is Regina, Minneapolis?
Regina is a small, quiet residential neighborhood in south Minneapolis, bounded roughly by East 42nd Street to the north, Chicago Avenue to the east, East 46th Street to the south, and I-35W to the west. With about 2,300 residents, it is one of the smallest neighborhoods in the city — a handful of residential blocks that most Minneapolitans have never heard of and that residents are perfectly content to keep that way.
The neighborhood has very little commercial activity — just a few small businesses, most of them along Chicago Avenue and 46th Street. What it offers is mostly residential: safe streets, well-maintained homes, and parks just across its eastern and western edges. It is a neighborhood defined by its peace and its smallness — a place where the community is tight-knit by necessity, because there simply aren't that many of you.
Regina Neighborhood Sign
Regina, Minneapolis — Key Stats (2025–2026)
- Residents (2020 Census)
- ~2,300
- Median home sale price (2025 data)
- $353K
- Median rent, all units (2020–24 ACS)
- $1,817
- Walk Score (Oct 2026)
- 58
- Bike Score (Oct 2026)
- 91
- Transit Score (Oct 2026)
- 54
- Renter-occupied homes (2020–24 ACS)
- 17%
- Neighborhood area
- 0.3 sq mi
Regina History & Origins
Regina is named for a school. According to the Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group, all three of its neighborhoods took their names from local schools — Field Elementary, Northrop Elementary, and Regina, a parochial school whose building now houses PICA Head Start and La Crèche Early Childhood Center. Like the rest of south Minneapolis, this land was part of the Dakota homeland before European settlement, and Minnehaha Creek, half a mile to the south, was a feature of the landscape long before anyone drew neighborhood lines on a map.
Development came in the early to mid-20th century, later than neighborhoods closer to downtown. The housing stock dates primarily from the 1920s through 1950s — bungalows, ramblers, and Cape Cods built for working-class and middle-class families. The neighborhood developed as Minneapolis expanded southward.
Regina has changed little physically since it was built out — nearly all of its single-family houses predate 1960. The result is a neighborhood that looks much as it has for decades — for better and for worse.
Living in Regina
Living in Regina is living in a neighborhood that asks very little of you. The streets are quiet. The homes are modest but cared for. The yards are small but green. There is no social scene to navigate, no commercial district to have opinions about, no neighborhood controversy demanding your attention. You live here, you maintain your home, you walk to the creek, you wave at the neighbors, and you go about your life.
The smallness of the neighborhood creates a particular kind of community. With only about 2,300 people, Regina functions more like a small town within the city. People recognize each other on the street. The block parties are small enough that everyone knows everyone. This intimacy is appealing to some and claustrophobic to others — there is no anonymity in a neighborhood this small.
Regina has no creek or lakeshore of its own. Minnehaha Creek runs about half a mile to the south, past Field, and the trail along it provides the primary recreational amenity for residents. Lake Nokomis, about a mile and a half to the southeast, and Lake Harriet, about as far to the west, are both a short bike ride away.
Neighboring Northrop across Chicago Avenue to the east shares the quiet residential character and has McRae Park, while King Field across I-35W to the west has Martin Luther King Park and more commercial activity along Nicollet Avenue.
Regina Food, Drink & Local Spots
Regina has almost no commercial activity within its boundaries. For food, drink, and shopping, residents rely mostly on neighboring areas.
Nearby Options
Chicago Avenue, Regina's eastern boundary, has a few businesses and services along it, including a Walgreens at 43rd Street on the Northrop side of the avenue.
Parks, Culture & Outdoors Near Regina
Regina's outdoor amenities are its greatest asset, even if most of them sit just past its borders — the parks across Chicago Avenue and I-35W, and the creek a little farther south.
Minnehaha Creek Trail
Minnehaha Creek runs about half a mile south of Regina, and the paved trail alongside it provides excellent recreational access. The trail connects west to Lake Harriet and east to Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi River — one of the best cycling and walking corridors in Minneapolis.
Lake Nokomis
Lake Nokomis is about a mile and a half southeast of Regina — a short bike ride rather than a walk. The lake's two beaches, 2.7-mile trail, and surrounding parkland make it a major outdoor recreation destination for the neighborhood.
McRae Park
Regina has no neighborhood park of its own, so McRae Park, just across Chicago Avenue at 46th Street in Northrop, does the job — a playground, ball fields, a wading pool, a hockey rink, and a recreation center that serves as a community gathering point. It is well-maintained and well-used.
Regina Schools
Regina is served by Minneapolis Public Schools. Field Elementary is just across 46th Street at Fourth Avenue in Field. Attendance areas are set by address, so families should check the district's school finder.
The Minneapolis Public Schools open enrollment system allows families to access magnet and specialty programs citywide.
Regina Real Estate & Housing
Regina's housing market is characterized by stability and limited inventory. The stock is mostly single-family homes from the 1920s-1950s.
Buying in Regina
Regina's median sale price was $353,250 in 2025, up from $327,000 a year earlier, according to Minneapolis Area REALTORS. The housing is modest in size — mostly two-to-three-bedroom homes — and price differences reflect condition and updates. Inventory is limited, and homes that come on the market in good condition sell quickly — an average of 29 days on the market in 2025, against 55 citywide.
Rental Market
Rental options are extremely limited in Regina. The neighborhood is overwhelmingly owner-occupied, and renters looking in this area should expect to expand their search to adjacent neighborhoods with more rental inventory.
Getting Around Regina
Regina is only somewhat walkable for daily needs. The Walk Score of 58 and Transit Score of 54 reflect the mostly residential character and decent bus service. The Bike Score of 91 is its strongest number.
The Orange Line on I-35W stops at 46th Street, at the neighborhood's southwest corner, providing direct service to downtown Minneapolis and south to Burnsville. On the eastern edge, the D Line on Chicago Avenue stops at 42nd and 46th Streets, with direct service to downtown and the Mall of America, and Route 46 runs along 46th Street.
Most households own cars, and the neighborhood is designed around automobile access. Street parking and driveways are standard, and congestion is not an issue on these quiet residential streets.
What's Changing: The Honest Version
Regina is one of the most stable neighborhoods in Minneapolis. Changes here are measured in small increments over long periods.
Rising Prices
Home prices have been climbing faster than the city's: Regina's median rose from $265,000 in 2021 to $353,250 in 2025, while the citywide median went from $315,000 to $350,000. Regina remains accessible for middle-income buyers but is no longer the bargain it was.
Aging Infrastructure
The housing stock is aging, and maintenance costs are rising. About half of Regina's homes were built before 1940, by Census estimates, and most of the rest before 1970 — houses that require ongoing investment in roofs, mechanical systems, and structural upkeep.
Transit Corridor Development
Regina sits between two rapid bus lines — the Orange Line on I-35W, its western boundary, and the D Line on Chicago Avenue, its eastern one. New construction and commercial activity along those corridors could gradually change the character of the neighborhood's edges.
Regina FAQ
Is Regina a good neighborhood in Minneapolis?
Regina is an excellent neighborhood for anyone seeking quiet, safe, residential living within Minneapolis. It's small, stable, and close to McRae Park and Minnehaha Creek. It's not a neighborhood with much commercial activity or cultural buzz — it's a neighborhood where people live, and it does that very well.
Is Regina safe?
Regina is one of the safest neighborhoods in Minneapolis, with crime rates well below the city average. It's a quiet, low-traffic residential area where most concerns are limited to minor property issues. Violent crime is very rare.
How much does it cost to live in Regina?
Regina's median sale price was $353,250 in 2025, up from $327,000 a year earlier, according to Minneapolis Area REALTORS — right at the city's $350,000 median. Rental options are limited, as the neighborhood is predominantly owner-occupied. The area is moderately priced for Minneapolis, more affordable than the lake neighborhoods to the west.
Where exactly is Regina in Minneapolis?
Regina is a small neighborhood in south Minneapolis, bounded roughly by East 42nd Street to the north, Chicago Avenue to the east, East 46th Street to the south, and I-35W to the west. It sits between King Field to the west and Northrop to the east, with Bryant to the north and Field to the south.
What schools serve Regina?
Regina is in Minneapolis Public Schools. Field Elementary is just across 46th Street; attendance areas vary by address, so check the district's school finder. The open enrollment system allows access to magnet and specialty programs citywide.
Is Regina walkable?
For daily commercial needs, not really — Regina is almost entirely residential, with only a few small businesses, most of them along its edges. For recreational walking, it's good — McRae Park is just across Chicago Avenue, and the Minnehaha Creek trail is about half a mile south.
How close is Regina to Lake Nokomis?
Regina is part of the city's Nokomis community, but Lake Nokomis itself is about a mile and a half southeast — a short bike ride rather than a walk. Lake Harriet is about the same distance to the west.
Is Regina good for families?
Yes. Regina's safe streets, good schools, nearby parks, and family-oriented housing stock make it well-suited for families with children. The small size of the neighborhood means everyone tends to know each other, creating a tight-knit community feel that's harder to find in larger neighborhoods.
What Makes Regina Worth Knowing
Regina is one of the smallest and least-known neighborhoods in Minneapolis, and that obscurity is part of its value. It is a handful of residential blocks between I-35W and Chicago Avenue, where the houses are modest, the streets are quiet, and the neighbors have been there long enough to remember when the elm trees were still alive. There is nothing flashy here. There is nothing to discover, in the way that food writers discover restaurants or real estate agents discover 'up-and-coming' neighborhoods.
What Regina offers is the irreducible core of what a neighborhood is supposed to be: a safe, stable, pleasant place to live, surrounded by people who are doing the same thing. In a city that sometimes confuses activity with vitality, Regina is a quiet reminder that a neighborhood doesn't need to be exciting to be excellent.
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