I found a brand new SMP that just started yesterday so it feels super fresh and you will not be far behind.
It is inspired by Hermitcraft and it is meant to be a chill nice community. People just play survival together and hang out.
They also do fun events and mini games and stuff. The theme is a little corny on purpose but it makes it more fun.
Mossy Mayhem Fresh Hermit Style SMP
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPTroothe SMP Season 5 Mature Survival
TrootheSMP is a friendly survival SMP that supports cross play. It runs in seasons and Season 5 is happening right now. The seasons are made to last long enough so people can actually build stuff make progress and set up shops without getting wiped all the time.
It is not an 18 plus server but everyone is expected to act mature and respectful. The server keeps the survival feel but adds a small set of upgrades that help with building and daily play.
There is Discord integration with account linking plus updates and community tools. The economy is item based and players make physical shops. There are land claims so you can build without worrying about grief. There are also quality of life features like armored Elytra and villager leashes. Simple Voice Chat is supported too.
They also started a Hytale server in the same community and it is still very early.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP