The community also has an indoor shopping concourse that connects the three residential buildings with 22 retail units, as well as fitness centers that include five swimming pools and five tennis courts.

The North Shore Towers is the only gated residential community in New York with its own United States Postal Service zip code, 11005.

[8] The neighborhood where the North Shore Towers were built was a rural, unnamed section of Flushing, part of a 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) land grant to Massachusetts settlers.

In 1923, the Glen Oaks Golf Club was built, created on 167 acres (68 ha) purchased from William K. Vanderbilt II's country estate.

[1] The North Shore Towers were constructed in Glen Oaks because of Queens's lax zoning rules, which are less restrictive than those in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in Long Island.

[9] Some Glen Oaks residents, mostly single-home dwellers, protested the construction of the North Shore Towers because they were afraid it would dominate the horizon.

[10] The North Shore Towers were originally built as rentals, but in 1985 a filing with the New York State Attorney General's office sought to convert the complex into cooperative apartments.

[12][13] The buildings are considered fireproof by the New York City Fire Department because partitions between individual units are designed to stop the spread of flames, also known as compartmentalization.

[8] As a gated community and private country club, the North Shore Towers offers a variety of amenities for residents and guests.

[6][13][18] The North Shore Towers has been described as "where the city meets the suburbs", given its location at the eastern edge of Queens and its suburban feel.

The health club includes 5 indoor and outdoor pools, a 20-person jacuzzi, fully equipped gym with personal trainers, aerobics classes, saunas, steam rooms, lockers, and showers.

[4] This 27,831-square-foot (2,585.6 m2) mall includes a 460-seat movie theater, restaurant, bank branch, supermarket, dry cleaner, laundromat, fruit and flower shop, pharmacy, boutique, spa, beauty salon, golf pro shop, convention center with catering hall, videographer, library, art gallery, public lounge rooms, courtyard garden with snack bar, children’s playground, dentist, and notary.

[24] The North Shore Towers Political Action Committee frequently organizes events to show support for lawmakers and to raise awareness on a number of important issues.

[25] Politicians running for office often visit the North Shore Towers during their campaigns in an attempt to win the vote of their residents, who tend to be retired, white, and Jewish.