Hi Kodiak,
It can seem quiet around the site if you're not participating in an event or taking a class. I suppose, theoretically, writer's sites aren't overly social because everyone is busy writing, lol.
The courses are definitely worth the price! I've never found another site that compares to the diversity of courses offered (except maybe Writer's Digest and they are hella expensive without the same level of hands-on instruction. Pretty much any genre or subject you can think of, from ghost hunting to military, plotting to marketing, there's been a Savvy workshop for that. There are also webinars and chats from time to time.
During events is when you usually see a swell of activity. We just had a writing boot camp in April and there's another in July. There was a recent pitching event as well and a plotting boot camp coming up mid-June. Events are free for premium members.
Check out the Groups section, too, as you may find something to join there also. Once you get to know other writers, especially in your genre, you can critique for each other, do writing sprints in the sprint room or chat in the chat room, etc. The best place to start is to take a workshop that interests you or join an event. The plotting boot camp starts on the 20th I believe, and you're sure to meet others there (myself included).
Hang in there! I can't imagine that you won't soon see a workshop or event you like. Does this help?
What genre do you write in, Kodiak?