There are definitely gym regulars (the guy wearing Top Gun shades indoors who uses 14 plates for his leg press and never puts them back). The extent of my socializing at that gym, over the course of two years, has been "sorry, are you still using that."
You can talk to anyone, not just the regulars, with a little bit of observation. Most people are happy to talk about their lives because we all go through life with little to no people showing an interest, not even people close to us.
Another example from just the other night, I see a person with an amazingly low percentage of body fat and muscle tone. That's a feat that takes dedication! So, I ask them if they strength train and run... how are you able to stay healthy without injuring yourself with that training volume... oh you run trails, do you have any good recommendations for someone just starting out (because I want to get into trail running), so on and so forth.
There's a wealth of opportunities for conversation out there my friend. Be proactive, give it a go!