UO Culture
UO Social Centers
Depending on your Shard, chances are the social center will be either the West Britain Bank or Luna. While most people at these places are idling, if you need something, you can start there.
In addition to these places, you can also check out your Shard's events. Some shards have community meetups from time to time, as well as various events such as player-run auction houses, or the occasional player-sponsored or guild-sponsored events, usually packed with free gold and items.
Meeting People
If you walk around the West Britain Bank (WBB), saying something along the lines of "I'm new and need help, please give me gold," you probably won't get very far. However, if you say, "I'm a new player and am looking for hunting partners," chances are pretty good you'll find some help.
Check people's names. If you see someone named "iPwNdaN00bS" chances are they will not be of much assistance.
Check people's Guild associations as well. Get to know the major guilds on your shard, and get in good with some of these guilds.
Items, Items, Items
Like it or not, UO has become an item-based game. You will often hear people talking about the various items in-game. When in doubt, check out UO Stuff, or just ask around.
An Economic Note
Although you start off with 1000 gold, and that may seem like a lot, the unofficial base economic unit in UO is 1000 gold, or 1k. When buying practically anything from other players, it will be measured in thousands or maybe millions. For example, you may buy an Essence of Battle for 600k, or 600,000 gold, or you may buy a Crimson Cincture for 16M, or 16,000,000 gold. The UO economy is always a subject of debate, but needless to say, becoming a millionaire is not a great accomplishment. On some shards, if you have less than 100 million gold, you are considered "poor". Always remember that, as in any economy, prices fluctuate. What costs 500k today may cost 200k in a couple of months, 100k a couple of months later, and 900k a few months after that.