The upper portion approaching Forest Gate was at one time called Gypsy Lane as it was once an area frequented by gypsies.
The southern portion of the road was the location of the Boleyn Ground, home to West Ham United. Due to the location of the football ground, Green Street was often the scene for football hooliganism and fan related violence including the 2009 Upton Park riot involving fans of West Ham and Millwall.
At the nearby junction with Barking Road, there is a Champions statue commemorating West Ham’s players who helped win the 1966 World Cup: Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
Near Upton Park Underground station, the road becomes a regional centre for retail in food, jewellery and fabrics, and the location of Queens Market. The road has an array of shops specialising in primarily South Asian goods, catering to those with strong cultural and familial ties to Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The street also has a smaller yet prominent Afro-Caribbean community culture, reflected in its several food stores specialising in Caribbean and African foods. Nowadays there is a very large Bangladeshi Muslim population living in the area.
The Boleyn public house has occupied the corner of Green Street and Barking Road.
